Telematics giant Microlise is hit by a cyber attack

Microlise suffered a cyber attack that affected a large portion of the company’s services, leaving fleets without any tracking services.

Microlise’s board says it has appointed external cybersecurity specialists whose investigation is ongoing to determine the nature and extent of the incident.

The Microlise team is working hard to bring the affected services back online quickly, it added.

The telematics company has notified relevant regulators and law enforcement agencies, including the Information Commissioner’s Office in the United Kingdom.

In a statement, Microlise said: “We are aware of our obligations regarding data; It is too early to make a decision on the impact this incident has had on personal data, but we will inform all individuals in accordance with our legal obligations, should the need arise.

“The company has relevant cyber insurance and is in discussions with its insurer.”

It added: “The company does not currently expect this incident to have a material adverse effect on its forecasts or financial position.”

Microlise supplies technology to over 400 fleets in the UK, including 88% of UK supermarket chains, and has a 58% share of those fleets with over 500 heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).

Microlise’s DHL tracking services were reportedly affected yesterday (Thursday, October 31), affecting deliveries to Nisa stores.

A DHL spokesperson told Better Retailing: “DHL Supply Chain UK is aware of a downtime incident affecting Microlise, a third party supplier we use. We can confirm that this incident did not impact DHL-owned systems.

“However, as a precaution, we have implemented appropriate safety measures.

“We are working to resolve the situation and have implemented contingency measures to ensure service levels are maintained for customers who may be affected.”

The spokesperson added: “The incident does not relate to or impact any other DHL Group business (including DHL Express, DHL eCommerce or DHL Global Forwarding).

“We are in direct communication with the supplier and will communicate further updates as necessary.”

Microlise said it would like to thank customers for their “patience and understanding” as it works to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.

Robert Cottrill, technology director of British technology company and cyber security specialists, ANS, said Fleet news: “The cyber attack hitting DHL’s systems is a stark reminder that you are only as safe as the weakest link in your partner network.

“The incident underlines that no organization is completely immune to cyber threats.

“This serves as a call to action for companies to reassess the proactive cybersecurity strategies and incident response plans of all partners within their network.”