The cybercriminal group Qilin has claimed responsibility for an attack on VW’s French subsidiary. Approximately 150 gigabytes of data were allegedly stolen—the automotive industry remains a preferred target for extortionists.
The hacker group Qilin published corresponding information on their leak platform on October 14, listing Volkswagen Group France as their latest conquest.
150 gigabytes of data compromised
The attackers claim to have stolen around 2,000 files totaling approximately 150 gigabytes. These allegedly include confidential information about customers, employees, and business operations. The group posted six documents online as proof.
The IT trade publication Cybernews was able to review samples of the published data. According to their analysis, these contain personal information of vehicle owners, including names, addresses, and email addresses. Additionally, the datasets include detailed vehicle information such as model designations, chassis numbers, and license plates.
Volkswagen Group France, founded in 1960 and headquartered in Villers-Cotterêts, coordinates sales and marketing for several group brands in the French market, including Audi, SEAT, CUPRA, ŠKODA, and VW Commercial Vehicles, according to the company’s own information.
Automotive industry increasingly under attack
This incident is one of many cyberattacks on automobile manufacturers that have made headlines in recent months. In September, the Everest group reported an attack on BMW.
At the end of August, Jaguar Land Rover was forced to shut down its IT systems as a precautionary measure following an attack. Both retail operations and several production facilities were affected by the consequences.