Automakers monitor cyberattack on German supplier Eberspaecher

Major automaker customers of Eberspaecher Group said they were keeping track of the ongoing cyberattack against the German supplier and that there has been no impact on vehicle production thus far.

A spokesperson for Stellantis said on Tuesday that while the company was "monitoring the situation" at Eberspaecher, it has resulted in "no production impact at this time" at the automaker's assembly plants.

A spokesperson for Volkswagen said the automaker was aware of the cyberattack and is "currently checking whether production processes could be affected by this."

VW's Audi brand said it was able to respond quickly after the hacker attack.

"We are currently assessing the impact on Audi are continuing to monitor the situation very closely," an Audi spokesperson said in an email to Automotive News Europe.

"Hacker attacks are a risk that we take very seriously. System security and data protection are top priorities for Audi," the spokesperson added. "We are therefore continuously working to secure our IT systems with the latest technology in order to detect attacks on our IT at an early stage and keep their consequences as low as possible."

A BMW spokesman also confirmed the company was monitoring the situation.

"This doesn't have an impact on our production at the moment," BMW spokesman Phil Dilanni wrote in an email to Automotive News. "We cannot provide further information but are in close contact with our supplier."

Requests for comment from other automakers were not immediately returned.

Eberspaecher, an automotive exhaust and thermal management systems supplier, said Monday that it was the victim of a cyberattack that affected the company's information technology infrastructure.

Eberspaecher, in a statement on its website, called it an “organized cyberattack” and said it immediately took “necessary steps” to counteract the attack and protect iemployees and customers. As of 11:25 a.m. EDT, the supplier's website remained down, except for a page showing the statement in English and German and the company's logo.

"Our team is working at full speed with external cybersecurity specialists and data forensics experts to eliminate the threat and restore normal operations," the statement read in part. "The relevant investigative authorities have been called in."

Details about the attack, who is responsible and the impact on Eberspaecher operations were not immediately clear. Multiple requests for comment from the company’s press office were not returned.

Eberspaecher on Tuesday said its Easy Start Web function, which allows consumers to start heaters on their vehicles remotely, was running again. The company's main website still directed only to its statement about the cyberattack.

Ransomware attacks and other cybersecurity threats have surged in recent months, including across the automotive industry. Ransomware involves hackers demanding a payment in exchange for the return of a victim's data.

Eberspaecher ranks No. 37 on Automotive News' list of the top 100 global suppliers, with automotive parts sales of $6.02 billion to automakers in 2020.

The company's roots date back to 1865 and it has 80 operations in 29 countries with about 10,000 employees. It's North American unit, based in the Detroit suburb of Novi, Mich., has been expanding operations and in March announced a new plant in Louisville, Ky.