The haulage industry faces a significant and growing cyber threat. Recent high-profile cyberattacks on transport sector giants like Yusen Logistics and Microlise have made it increasingly clear that it’s a case of not if but when. As Daniel Brind, Head of IT Security at Yusen Logistics Europe, described, a company can “operate perfectly well one minute and then all of a sudden it’s changed forever.”
Yet despite these warnings, many haulage companies remain underprepared for cyber threats. Why are cybercriminals targeting this sector, and what valuable data are they after?
Haulage companies are a data goldmine
Haulage companies process and store numerous types of sensitive information that makes them attractive targets:
Customer and Supply Chain Data
Haulage companies maintain extensive client details, providing cybercriminals with valuable information about what’s being shipped, its value, and destination. This data can be exploited to target high-value shipments or disrupt critical supply chains. Customer databases represent another significant vulnerability, containing contact information, shipping histories, and payment details that could be used for identity theft or financial fraud. Additionally, supplier networks documentation reveals details about supply chain relationships that could be exploited, potentially compromising multiple organisations with a single breach.
Operational Information
The operational backbone of any haulage company includes route planning and logistics data, detailing optimal routes, delivery schedules, and fleet management information that could be manipulated to disrupt services or facilitate theft. Warehouse inventory systems contain real-time inventory levels and locations of high-value goods, potentially providing a roadmap for physical theft when combined with other stolen data. Perhaps most concerning is the GPS tracking and telematics information, which provides live location data for vehicles transporting valuable cargo, creating significant risk if accessed by criminal organisations.
If cybercriminals target your systems, details of who holds the firm’s operator’s license, a Driver CPC (Certificate of Professional Competence) card holder, and tachograph data could also be at risk.
Financial and Employee Data
Payment processing systems within haulage companies handle substantial financial transactions, storing banking details, credit card information, and invoicing systems that are prime targets for financial fraud. As highlighted by Yusen’s experience, payroll information includes employee bank details that are critical not just for business continuity but also for staff financial well-being during recovery periods. Details of employees’ driving licences and health information could also be a target for hackers.
Comprehensive accounting records reveal business health and cash flow information, which could be exploited for insider trading, competitive intelligence, or to identify the optimal ransom amount a company might pay when compromised.
Technical Infrastructure
The technical landscape of modern haulage operations includes sophisticated fleet management software systems controlling dispatch and vehicle allocation, which could be manipulated to cause operational chaos. IoT devices and connected vehicles represent a growing attack surface, with modern lorries featuring digital connectivity that could be exploited for remote control or monitoring. Perhaps most critically, access credentials (user accounts with privileges to critical operational systems) represent the keys to the kingdom, allowing cybercriminals to move laterally within networks and escalate their privileges to access the most sensitive business data.
Why cybercriminals target haulage companies
The time-sensitive nature of logistics makes haulage companies particularly vulnerable to ransomware attacks. When systems go down, deliveries stop, perishable goods spoil, and contracts are breached. This creates enormous pressure to pay ransoms quickly to restore operations.
Comprehensive cybersecurity investments often take a back seat to operational costs, neglecting basic security measures.
Compromising a haulage company can give attackers a foothold into their customers’ systems, including retailers, manufacturers, and other high-value targets. Cybercriminals often use the weakness in third-party firms as a backdoor into larger firms, and the firm’s customers are often attacked. The financial and reputational damage can be devastating.
Transport and logistics are essential services. Disrupting them can cause widespread economic impact, increasing the likelihood that companies will pay to resolve attacks quickly.
The reality of a cyber attack
It can be hard to envisage what damage a cyberattack can do:
- Yusen Logistics took three months to restore operations after the attack
- At least one major Yusen customer was “seriously impacted”
- Microlise’s attack disrupted DHL’s store deliveries for retailer NISA
- Employee payroll systems were compromised, threatening staff financial stability
As Nadeem Raza, CEO of Microlise, pointed out, often the “minor systems” are critical weak points – like “label printing… that’s critical to getting stuff out the door.”
How can you protect your business from a cyberattack?
The haulage industry needs to recognise that collaboration trumps competition when it comes to cybersecurity. As Brind urged, “We’re not in competition here; we’re dealing with a criminal attack, so the more we can work together and share information, the better chance we have of getting through it.”
For haulage companies, investing in appropriate cyber coverage is no longer optional; it’s essential business protection in an increasingly digital logistics landscape. The sector must catch up quickly to protect its operations and the entire supply chain that depends on it.
Here are three simple steps for protecting you and your business.
1. Identify and understand the risks.
Understanding the business’s exposure enables precautions to be taken.
- Prepare a business security plan
- Encrypt all sensitive data
- Secure wireless networks
- Install and maintain anti-virus software and firewalls
- Make sure all updates and patches are installed
- Restrict employee usage of non-business-related websites
- Carry out daily backups of data
- Regular staff training on how to identify and avoid cyber risk
2. Create and maintain a robust Business Continuity Plan (BCP)
Identify potential threats to the business, evaluating the threats, and determining the action required to minimise the effect that any resultant losses will have on the business.
A BCP will help reassure staff, customers, and suppliers that there are effective plans to manage if you are subject to a cyber-attack.
3. Buy a cyber insurance policy
Cyber insurance is a financial backup plan in case of a cyber-attack. It provides protection against financial losses and liability which can be substantial and can cripple businesses. However, cyber insurance cannot prevent the loss; it just stops a bad situation from worsening. Having a robust and proactive approach to your cybersecurity, coupled with a cyber insurance policy, is a good approach.
How can I get a cyber insurance quote?
For a quote, contact the team at 01664 490 900, and we’ll walk you through the process.