The world's largest provider of automation and electrification technology, ABB of Switzerland, acknowledged a data breach following a ransomware attack that purportedly affected its business operations. The company's Windows Active Directory was compromised by the attack, infecting hundreds of devices, according to BleepingComputer, which broke the news of the incident first. According to BleepingComputer, the Black Basta ransomware organisation was responsible for the attack, which also caused some projects to be postponed and affected some of the corporate factories. The company claimed via a news release that threat actors gained unauthorised access to several ABB systems, installed ransomware, and stole some data.

The California Office of the Attorney General disclosed that ABB, Inc. suffered a data breach on August 25, 2017, stemming from suspicious login activity in an employee’s email account. The incident exposed sensitive personal information, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and medical records of an unspecified number of individuals. While the exact scale of the breach remains undisclosed, the compromised data suggests a significant risk of identity theft or fraud. In response, ABB offered one year of identity monitoring services to affected parties, indicating an effort to mitigate potential harm. The breach highlights vulnerabilities in employee account security, raising concerns about unauthorized access to highly confidential data. The exposure of medical records further escalates the severity, as such information is often targeted for exploitation in cybercrime schemes.