Cyber Incident Victim: Altran Technologies
Date:
Jan 2019
Location:
France
Summary
A French engineering consultancy firm experienced a cyber attack impacting operations across several European countries, prompting a shutdown of its IT network and applications while initiating recovery efforts. The company engaged external technical and forensic experts, whose investigation found no evidence of data theft or propagation of the incident to its clients, which span sectors including utilities, satellite operations, retail, and critical infrastructure. The incident occurred amid heightened global concerns over cyber threats targeting private enterprises from both state-sponsored and financially motivated actors.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On January 24, 2019, French engineering consultancy Altran Technologies experienced a cyber attack that disrupted operations across several European countries. The company publicly disclosed the incident on January 25, confirming it had proactively shut down its entire IT network and applications to contain the threat. Altran immediately initiated a recovery plan while launching a forensic investigation with assistance from leading global third-party technical experts. The investigation concluded there was no evidence of data exfiltration or propagation of the attack to client systems, though the company did not specify the attack vector or duration of network downtime. Altran maintained operations for critical client infrastructure during the disruption, though internal business processes were affected. The company did not disclose financial losses or operational metrics quantifying the attack's impact.
The incident occurred amid heightened cybersecurity concerns across European critical infrastructure sectors. Altran's client portfolio included prominent organizations such as French utility Engie, U.S. satellite operator Iridium, British online supermarket Ocado, and Britain's Network Rail, though no client systems were compromised according to the investigation. This attack coincided with other significant cybersecurity events during the same period, including a large-scale DNS hijacking campaign targeting government and commercial entities worldwide that was under investigation by Britain's National Cyber Security Center. Two days prior to Altran's disclosure, metals producer Nyrstar had also reported a separate cyber attack that forced shutdowns of some IT systems. Altran's containment strategy focused on complete network isolation followed by phased restoration, with no ransomware or extortion demands publicly reported in connection with the incident.