Pharmaceutical Firm Inotiv Investigating Ransomware Attack That Disrupted Operations

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Pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Inotiv Inc. is investigating a ransomware attack that encrypted company data and disrupted operations, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The cyberattack, which occurred on August 8, affected access to certain data storage systems and business applications. Inotiv confirmed that some operations have been shifted to offline alternatives to ensure business continuity while recovery efforts are underway.

In its SEC filing, Inotiv stated that it has:

• Restricted access to company systems

• Engaged third-party cybersecurity experts

• Notified law enforcement authorities

The company added that it is still working to bring systems back online and did not provide a timeline for full recovery. It remains unclear whether the attack will have a material impact on operations.

Qilin Ransomware Group Claims Responsibility

Cybersecurity researchers at Huntress and Kroll report that the Qilin ransomware group has claimed responsibility for the incident. The group alleges it has stolen 176 GB of company data and published nine sample documents as proof.

Max Rogers, Senior Director of the Security Operations Center at Huntress, noted that the researchers could not independently verify the authenticity of the files. Huntress was not involved in Inotiv’s investigation or incident response.

Qilin has been linked to previous large-scale cyberattacks, including one against Lee Enterprises, which disrupted newspaper operations and cost an estimated $2 million in recovery expenses.

As of now, Inotiv continues to work with experts to restore its systems and evaluate the full scope of the attack.