The Timeline
Thursday 2:15 PM: Staff arrived to find the system locked. Ransomware note appeared across multiple workstations simultaneously.
Thursday 3:00 PM: Internal IT confirmed the backup system was also compromised — the backup drive had been connected to the network during a routine sync. This is devastatingly common.
Thursday 4:30 PM: They called us.
Thursday 11:00 PM: We had remote access to their environment. Identified the attack vector: an unpatched VPN appliance with a known vulnerability. The same vulnerability had been exploited in at least 40 other logistics companies in the region in the previous 6 months.
Friday 10:00 AM: Emergency workaround deployed — manual procedures for critical client communications, using personal devices and WhatsApp groups.
Saturday 8:00 PM: Forensic recovery of the primary operational system initiated. The ransomware had encrypted sequentially — earlier directories were fully encrypted, but container tracking data in later-encrypted paths still had recoverable fragments in slack space. We deployed data carving tools to extract what we could from unallocated clusters.
Monday 9:00 AM: Core platform operational at 85% function. Staff could process inbound queries.
Wednesday: Full platform restoration. All 23 containers tracked, customs documentation resubmitted, client communications restored.
The Numbers
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Forensic recovery | USD 10,500 |
| Emergency IT support (over 6 days) | USD 2,600 |
| Staff overtime (manual procedures) | USD 1,900 |
| Total | ~USD 15,000 |
What they avoided: The alternative — delayed vessels, missed delivery windows, port storage fees — could have run into millions. One container delayed at a major port costs roughly USD 250-500 per day in storage and demurrage.
The Vulnerability That Let Them In
The entry point was a VPN appliance that hadn't been updated in 14 months.
The vulnerability had been patched 8 months before the attack. A patch existed. No one applied it.
The attacker's automated scanning found the unpatched device within hours of it being exposed to the internet.
This is not unusual. In our experience, the vast majority of logistics sector breaches start with an unpatched VPN or exposed RDP port. It's the same pattern, over and over.
What They Fixed
Within 72 hours:
- VPN appliance patched and reconfigured
- All remote access moved behind MFA-protected VPN
- Emergency manual procedures documented for key operations
Within a month:
- 24-hour monitoring service installed on all internet-facing systems
- Quarterly vulnerability scanning added to their IT contract
- Backup system redesigned — offline copy now rotated weekly
The honest assessment from their IT director: "We knew the VPN needed updating. We kept postponing it. We won't make that mistake again."
Why Logistics Companies Are Targeted
Logistics is a high-value target because:
Time = money, directly. Every hour of downtime has a quantifiable cost. Vessels don't wait. Container slots don't pause. This creates pressure to pay or to cut corners on recovery.
Supply chain leverage. Attackers know that logistics companies work with large manufacturers and retailers. Disrupting a freight forwarder disrupts a whole chain — making the forwarder more desperate to resolve quickly.
Document dependency. Customs requires accurate, timely documentation. A logistics company that can't produce documents on time faces regulatory penalties, not just business losses.
Historically low security investment. Smaller logistics companies have often prioritized speed-to-market over security infrastructure. This is changing, but slowly.
For more on how ransomware targets logistics companies, see our HODINI ransomware recovery guide.
If you're in logistics and something feels wrong with your systems:
Call us before you're in this situation. A pre-incident security review costs a fraction of what an incident costs. If you're already in one — we understand the time pressure. Free assessment, no commitment.
- WhatsApp: +852 4666 4940
- Email: IR@ransomrestore.com
- Website: ransomrestore.com
In most emergency cases, we respond within 3 hours.