Accenture hit by ransomware attack but claims it had 'no impact'

CNBC reported that the IT consultancy firm was targeted by LockBit ransomware

Accenture was the target of a LockBit ransomware attack on Wednesday, according to a report from CNBC.

In response to the report, the company claims that it has had "no impact" on its own operations or on its clients.

CNBC reporter Eamon Javers reported the news on Twitter and said LockBit published more than 2,000 files on the DarkWeb following the attack, including PowerPoints and case studies.

But in a statement, the global IT consultancy firm played down the impact of the incident.

"Through our security controls and protocols, we identified irregular activity in one of our environments," it said.

"We immediately contained the matter and isolated the affected servers. We fully restored our affected systems from back up.

"There was no impact on Accenture's operations, or on our clients' systems."

It is unclear how much data the LockBit group was able to obtain in the attack and if it plans to release more, but in a post on its DarkWeb site, Javers reported that the group said: "These people are beyond privacy and security.

"I really hope that their services are better than what I saw as an insider. If you're interested in buying some databases, reach us."

LockBit is a form of ransomware which is largely automated, according to anti-virus company Emsisoft, making it "one of the most efficient ransomware variants on the market".

Emsisoft adds that the group has been active from around 2019 and leases its ransomware to affiliates who then receive a cut of the payments.

It is the latest in a number of high-profile cyber-attacks, with Kaseya recently falling victim to a REvil ransomware attack which impacted more than 1,000 businesses worldwide.