Australian infrastructure company Ventia hit with cyberattack

The Australian infrastructure services provider Ventia is dealing with a cyberattack that began this weekend.

On Saturday, the company said it identified a cyber intrusion and took some “key systems” offline to contain the incident. It did not respond to requests for comment about whether it is a ransomware attack, but taking systems offline is an action typically taken in response to such an incident.

The company reported revenue of more than $5 billion in 2022 through its work providing a range of essential telecommunications and engineering services to governments and businesses across Australia.

“Ventia has engaged external cyber security experts and is actively working with regulators and law enforcement. As we work to restore our networks, we will prioritize the security and safety of our people, our customers, and our stakeholders,” Ventia said.

The company published a follow-up statement on Sunday saying they were still dealing with the attack but that their “operations are continuing.”

“We are maintaining vigilance across our systems. We will not hesitate to take further protective action if required as operations return to normal in the days ahead,” officials said.

“We will provide further updates to our nominated customer representatives, regulators and other stakeholders as our response to the incident progresses.”

Ventia is one of the largest essential services providers in Australia and New Zealand — with arms involved in the defense, energy, healthcare, mining, telecommunications and water industries. It is also heavily involved in education, local government, rail, oil and gas, prisons and more.

The last year has been a watershed moment for cybersecurity in Australia after a series of hacks and incidents that affected nearly every resident of the country.

Hacks involving the country’s second largest telecommunications company Optus, health insurance company Medibank, consumer credit business Latitude Financial and the state of Tasmania have dominated headlines and forced the government to take a more proactive approach to cybersecurity.