Ventia customers require 'systems assurance' after cyber attack

Infrastructure services provider Ventia said that its customers will require some “systems assurance” work following a weekend cyber attack that it says is now contained.

Image credit: Ventia

The statement came as it emerged that Ventia contractors facilitating custodial services on behalf of the WA Department of Justice had switched to manual processes “to admit and track prisoners” since the incident, according to a news report by the West Australian.

The newspaper added that investigators were trying to work out whether sensitive data held by Ventia had been leaked.

The company has a long-term deal with the Western Australian government, that was renewed for at least four more years in March for $229 million.

Ventia said in a statement late Wednesday that its customers “will require systems assurance, and we are working with external cyber security experts to facilitate verification and continuous improvement of our network security.”

It said that it’s “confident that the cyber incident has been contained” now, and said that “key internal systems have been safely re-enabled”.

“Additional key external-facing networks are being progressively restored in line with our assurance process,” Ventia said.

The company apologised for the system disruptions and added it is continuing “to work closely with the relevant regulators and law enforcement as our investigation and response continues.”