German machinery manufacturer Lemken recently had its online system attacked by cyber hackers.

The firm said that the criminal attack extended to all locations worldwide.

In a statement, the company said: “To protect against further access, all IT systems were immediately shut down and external specialists were called in.

"Production operations have currently been halted and employees in the office areas can work remotely. Important Lemken contacts can still be reached by email or mobile phone.”

Lemken Group CEO Anthony van der Ley added: "We are working at full speed to analyse the effects of the attack with the support of specialists and in co-operation with the state office of criminal investigation and to set up a new IT infrastructure.

"Our internal processes are currently running in emergency mode. Our business partners have been informed at short notice.

"We have also sensitised our employees to treat fraudulent enquiries or requests for payment following the attack with caution. According to initial detailed analyses, our customers' data is not affected as our security systems were very effective."

Defence mechanisms

The company said that it has installed extensive cyber defence mechanisms and emergency defence plans in the company in the event of a scenario like this, which are proving their worth.

The company expects to be able to restart the first systems in a few days with the help of its own IT team and the specialists who have been called in.

"Of course, we will still be severely hampered in our day-to-day business over the next few days. We therefore hope for the understanding of our customers, business partners and suppliers for any inconvenience," said van der Ley.

The company said that the dispatch of spare parts is still guaranteed and won’t be affected.