Toll Group scrambles on day four of suspected cyber-attack

Photo / File

Transport and logistics giant Toll Group still has a number of systems offline, four days into what it calls a "suspected cyber-attack."

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On Friday, an alert on the company's website said some systems had been taken offline as a precaution.

An updated message today reads, "Toll Global Express New Zealand has lost use and access to its email exchange."

A warning beside a log-on screen for Toll's online portal reads, "Toll Group is currently experiencing a suspected cyber attack." Customers are asked to confirm bookings by phone.

The message adds: "We would ask that you hold any non-essential freight movements for today."

The Australian-owned company has yet to offer any comment beyond various brief statements on its website.

But the attack could not have come at a worse time for Toll which has operations in China and Hong Kong (among 48 other countries) and, like all international logistics companies, will already be grappling with complications caused by the coronavirus scare.

This morning, a receptionist at Toll's NZ office said she could local management had no additional statement beyond what had been published online. She was unable to provide a contact for the company's head office in Melbourne because the phone directory was down.

Toll did not reply to written requests for comment on Friday or today. Nor did its social media team.

2020 has begun as another bad year for cyber-security.

January 8 saw currency exchange firm Travelex knocked offline after a "ransomware" attack saw hackers steal customer data then demand money for it to be released.

The BBC reported the hackers had demanded US$6million.

Travelex went back online on January 28. Reuters quoted the company saying it had not paid any ransom.

New Zealand businesses or individuals hit by a cyber-attack are advised to contact Crown agency CERT (the Computer Emergency Response Team) as their first step.

CERT acts as a triage unit, pointing people to the right law enforcement agency or technical contacts.

CERT director Rob Pope declined to comment on whether his agency had been approached by Toll.

"Because of the sensitive nature of the reports made to CERT NZ, we never confirm or deny our involvement with any particular incident," he said.