Major trucking software provider confirms ransomware incident

One of the largest software providers for the trucking industry acknowledged a ransomware attack Friday after reports emerged of customer problems with its products.

An executive with New Jersey-based ORBCOMM confirmed the attack to Recorded Future News, but did not say which ransomware group was behind the incident or whether a ransom would be paid.

“On September 6, 2023, ORBCOMM suffered a ransomware attack that temporarily impacted our FleetManager platform and BT product line, which are used by some of our customers to track and monitor their transportation assets,” said Vice President President Michelle Ferris. The incident was the first reported by BleepingComputer.

ORBCOMM provides dozens of trucking companies with Electronic Logging Device (ELD) systems, which are mandated by the U.S. Department of Transportation to track how much time drivers spend behind the wheel. The Department granted an extension to all carriers using ORBCOMM’s ELD models, allowing drivers to use paper logs when the system is down.

ORBCOMM customers had been turn to social networks since last week to complain about having had to use paper newspapers instead of the digital system.

Ferris said the company is in contact with all affected customers and plans to continue providing timely updates.

“After discovering the issue, leading external cybersecurity experts were retained to conduct a thorough investigation. It is important to note that all of our other systems and service offerings remain fully operational and customers are using them as normal,” Ferris said.

Ransomware gangs make it a point to attack the operational networks of companies involved in critical infrastructure. Attacks on cold storage giant America as well as Sysco – one of the world’s largest food distributors – has caused significant problems for manufacturers in 2023.

The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity warned in March that ransomware was dangerous. the most significant cyber threat facing the transportation sector in the European Union _ predicting that gangs would likely “target and disrupt” operational technology (OT) systems “in the near future”, which could have even greater consequences for victims.

Jonathan Greig

Jonathan Greig is a breaking news reporter at Recorded Future News. Jonathan has worked as a journalist around the world since 2014. Before returning to New York, he worked for media outlets in South Africa, Jordan and Cambodia. He previously covered cybersecurity at ZDNet and TechRepublic.