Sydney: Over the weekend, the Australian government acknowledged a significant ongoing cybersecurity issue affecting DP World Australia, a key ports operator responsible for a large portion of the country’s trade flow. This incident has led to the suspension of operations at major container terminals in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Fremantle since Friday. DP World Australia, part of Dubai’s DP World, is actively investigating possible data breaches and conducting essential system checks to resume regular freight movements.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil termed the cyber incident as serious and continuous, emphasizing its significance on social media. However, DP World has not specified when operations will return to normal, and the Australian Federal Police are investigating the matter without providing further details.
National Cyber Security Coordinator Darren Goldie, appointed earlier in response to significant data breaches, mentioned that this disruption is likely to persist for several days, impacting the movement of goods in and out of the country. DP World, a major player in the stevedore industry with a presence in the Asia-Pacific region encompassing 18 locations, employs over 7,000 individuals.