Pharmaceutical company Inotiv currently investigating disruptive ransomware breach impacting business operations

Inotiv Inc. Suffers Cyberattack, Operations Disrupted

Inotiv Inc., a leading contract research organisation, has fallen victim to a cyberattack claimed by the Qilin ransomware group. The attack, which occurred on August 8, has disrupted access to certain data storage and business applications for the company.

According to reports, the Qilin cyberattack series, attributed to the Chinese state-sponsored hacker group APT41, is responsible for the attack on Inotiv. The Qilin ransomware group has previously claimed responsibility for a massive attack on the media company Lee Enterprises.

The attack on Inotiv has encrypted the company's data, and the organisation is working diligently to restore normal operations. However, they have not provided a timeline for recovery. Inotiv has restricted access to its systems and has moved some operations to offline alternatives to maintain business continuity.

Inotiv has retained third-party experts to assist in the investigation and recovery process. The Qilin ransomware group claims to have obtained 176 GB of data from Inotiv, but the authenticity of the provided documents has not been independently confirmed by researchers.

Max Rogers of Huntress, a cybersecurity firm, has stated that Qilin provided nine images of documents as proof of compromise. It is important to note that Huntress was not involved in any investigation or incident response related to the attack on Inotiv.

The Qilin ransomware group has notified law enforcement about the cyberattack. Inotiv has not yet determined whether the attack will have a material impact on its operations. The company has notified law enforcement about the incident and is working to bring certain systems back online.

This cyberattack on Inotiv is the latest in a series of high-profile attacks by the Qilin ransomware group. The group's previous attack on Lee Enterprises disrupted newspaper operations and resulted in $2 million in restoration and recovery expenses.

As the investigation into the attack on Inotiv continues, the company and the cybersecurity community will be closely watching for any developments. Inotiv has emphasised its commitment to ensuring the security of its data and operations and is working to prevent such incidents in the future.

Pharmaceutical company Inotiv currently investigating disruptive ransomware breach impacting business operations