Evolution Mining Hit by Cyber Attack, No Material Impact Expected

Evolution Mining Hit by Cyber Attack, No Material Impact Expected

Evolution Mining, Australia's second-largest gold miner, has been the target of a ransomware attack impacting its IT systems. The company became aware of the incident on August 8th and has been working with external cyber forensic experts to investigate.

Evolution believes the incident is now contained and does not expect any material impact on its operations. The company's biggest operations are on the east coast of Australia, including the Cowal and Northparkes mines in New South Wales and the Ernest Henry and Mount Rawdon mines in Queensland. Evolution also operates the Mungari gold mine near Kalgoorlie in Western Australia and the Red Lake mine in Canada.

The attack has been reported to the Australian Cyber Security Centre, which has seen a 23% increase in cybercrime reports in the past year. The average cost to large businesses for a cybercrime report is $71,600.

This is the latest cyber attack to hit Australia's resources sector, following breaches at Rio Tinto and Northern Minerals. Cybersecurity expert Nigel Phair from Monash University stresses the importance of individual companies undertaking their own cybersecurity risk analysis. He warns that cybercriminals will continue to target the sector due to its reliance on technology and financial resources.

This incident serves as a reminder of the growing threat of cybercrime and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures for businesses of all sizes.