Criminals steal data from Tesla and SpaceX supplier

Criminals have stolen data from the American company Visser. Visser is a supplier to Tesla, SpaceX and Boeing, among others. Some of the stolen data was put online by the criminals. Presumably, the criminals used the DoppelPaymer ransomware.

Denver, Colorado-based Visser Precision manufactures custom parts for multiple companies, including those in the automotive and aerospace industries. In a statement – seen by TechCrunch, among others – the company admits to being the victim of a criminal cyber attack. This involved access to data, whereby data may have been copied. The company did not say what exactly the attack was. Visser says he is now fully operational.

TechCrunch writes on the basis of security researchers that the company became a victim of the DoppelPaymer ransomware. This malware encrypts computer data, but sends these files to remote servers first. Normally, in this malware, the criminals warn a company to pay. If that doesn’t happen, the sanction is usually that the information is disclosed. It is not known how much the criminals wanted from Visser.

The researchers believe that the criminals used the ransomware because information was previously published on an undisclosed site. This information is said to have come from Visser Precision. Among these documents would be, for example, non-disclosure agreements between Visser and customers, such as with Tesla and SpaceX. Another file would be a partial schematic representation of a Lockheed Martin missile antenna.

In a response, Lockheed Martin said it is aware of the situation at Visser Precision and follows their standard response process when suppliers are involved in cybercrime. The other companies mentioned have not yet responded. DoppelPaymer has been distributed since last June and mainly affects companies. The ransom demanded is often millions of euros. In November last year, dozens of companies were affected.