European missile maker confirms data theft, denies network compromise

Missile maker MBDA this week appeared to confirm a breach of data related to its business, but denied claims that its networks were compromised. Instead, the company said information advertised by cybercriminals online came from an external hard drive.

MBDA is a major multinational defense player based in France that employs more than 13,000 people. 

In a recent post on a cybercriminal forum a “group of independent specialists and researchers in the field of cybersecurity” calling itself “Adrastea” alleged they had breached the company’s networks, obtaining information about employees and projects the company worked on with the Ministry of Defense of the European Union. The poster claimed to have 60 GB of data. 

In a statement posted to its website, MBDA said it was working with Italian police to investigate a blackmail scheme targeting the company. 

MBDA is the subject of a blackmail attempt by a criminal group that falsely claims to have hacked the company’s information networks. Following the company’s refusal to yield to this blackmail threat and pay a ransom demand, the criminal group has spread information on the internet, making it accessible for a payment. 

The company said the source of the advertised data “has already been ascertained” and it confirmed that “no hacking of the company’s secure networks has occurred.” 

So far, the company added, its “internal verification processes indicate that the data made available online are neither classified data nor sensitive.”