Billion-dollar logistics firm Hellmann Worldwide Logistics reported a cyberattack this week that forced them to temporarily remove all connections to their central data center. The company said the shut down was having a "material impact" on their business operations. 

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The German company operates in 173 countries, running logistics for a range of air and sea freights as well as rail and road transportation services. Air Cargo News, which first reported the attack, said the company had a revenue of nearly$3 billion last year.

In a statement, Hellmann said its Global Crisis Taskforce discovered the attack but outside cybersecurity experts were brought in to help with the response. 

"Operations will be restored step by step, with the security and integrity of the systems as the top priority," reads the statement.

The statement does not say if they were suffering from a ransomware attack, and the company did not respond to requests for comment. 

This is a particularly inopportune time for a global logistics firm like Hellmann to suffer from a cyberattack considering the role it plays in the global supply chain, explained Nasser Fattah, North America steering committee chair at Shared Assessments.  

"Today, the movement of goods is a global process that requires a concerted effort because the supply chain may include transportation, shipping, receiving, storage, and management of goods," Fattah said. 

"The slightest kink in the chain can cause the business to suffer simply because of untimely deliveries. And businesses know that implementing seamless logistics is essential to keep pace with customer demands and remain competitive."

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