Sibanye-Stillwater disclosed that it had fallen victim to a cyberattack, resulting in operational disturbances across its global IT systems. The Sibanye-Stillwater cyberattack began on Monday, affecting the company’s servers and causing widespread disruptions. However, core mining and processing activities have largely continued unaffected.
A Sibanye-Stillwater spokesperson confirmed the attack to The Cyber Express, stating, “We confirm that a cyber attack has taken place at Sibanye-Stillwater. While the investigation into the incident is ongoing, there has been limited disruption to the Group’s operations globally.”
The company promptly isolated the affected IT systems and engaged external cybersecurity experts to investigate and restore normal operations.
Decoding the Sibanye-Stillwater Cyberattack
Despite the severity of the cyberattack on Sibanye-Stillwater, the organization has not received any ransom demands nor identified the perpetrators behind the cyberattack.
The company has reassured stakeholders of its commitment to mitigating the impact of the attack and enhancing protections against future threats.
The Johannesburg-headquartered firm, known for its operations in precious metals like platinum and gold in South Africa, also operates internationally, including a palladium mine in the U.S. and projects in Finland, France, and Australia involving lithium, nickel, and zinc.
As of now, the company’s official website, www.sibanyestillwater.com, remains inaccessible, displaying a message indicating technical difficulties. The Cyber Express has reached out to the organization to learn more about the extent of the cyberattack on Sibanye-Stillwater or its mitigation strategies. In response, a spokesperson shared information on the attack and mitigation strategies implemented at the time of the incident.
Measures taken included implementing immediate containment measures in line with our Incident Response plan which included proactively isolating IT systems and safeguarding data“, said the spokesperson.
Sibanye-Stillwater Cyberattack and Mitigation Strategies
In a formal statement released on Thursday, Sibanye-Stillwater highlighted its commitment to managing the cyber incident diligently: “Our efforts remain focused on working towards the full remediation of the effects of this attack. We are voluntarily reporting this incident to the appropriate regulators and will provide further updates as necessary.”
Sibanye-Stillwater, listed on both the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE: SSW) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: SBSW), is a prominent player in the global mining and metals processing industry, specializing in platinum group metals (PGMs) and gold production. The company has also expanded its operations into battery metals mining and recycling, emphasizing its commitment to sustainability and operational resilience.
Sibanye-Stillwater is a multinational mining and metals processing group with operations across five continents. The company is a leading producer of platinum, palladium, and rhodium, and has interests in various other metals including gold, iridium, ruthenium, nickel, chrome, copper, and cobalt. Sibanye-Stillwater is also involved in recycling PGM autocatalysts and leading mine tailings re-treatment operations globally.