Smiths Group hit by global cyber attack

Engineering giant Smiths Group has revealed its global systems have been hit by a cyber attack.

The FTSE 100 firm said it was “currently managing” the hack, which has affected its internal systems worldwide.

Smiths said it “rapidly isolated” affected systems and had launched business continuity plans as it looks to carry on with business as usual.

It did not disclose what, if any, information had been accessed, but said it had drafted in cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident.

Shares in the group were 2% lower in Tuesday afternoon trading following details of the hack.

The company said: “As soon as Smiths became aware of the unauthorised activity, the company rapidly isolated affected systems and activated business continuity plans.

“Smiths is working with cybersecurity experts to recover affected systems and determine any wider impact on the business.”

It added it will update on the incident “as and when appropriate”.

Smiths Group is headquartered in London and employs around 15,000 staff worldwide.

It comes after a raft of cyber attacks last year, including the hack on Transport for London, which saw about 5,000 customers warned their details may have been accessed.

High-end department store Harvey Nichols also revealed last autumn that some customer details may have been exposed when it fell victim to a cyber attack.