The Gentlemen ransomware group has allegedly added Proplastics Zimbabwe to its leak site, exposing internal corporate data. The files listed include folders titled ExcelDocs, Attachments, and Pictures, which may contain sensitive corporate documents, contracts, and confidential records.
Proplastics, a leading Zimbabwean manufacturer of plastic pipes and related products, plays a crucial role in the country’s construction, infrastructure, and industrial sectors. This incident marks a significant blow to the local manufacturing industry, further highlighting ransomware operators’ growing focus on African enterprises.
This alleged ransomware attack could lead to:
- Operational Disruption: Leaked internal documents may reveal supplier contracts, pricing structures, and operational workflows.
- Reputation Damage: As a listed company in Zimbabwe, public exposure of sensitive data could erode investor and customer trust.
- Industry Risk: The breach underscores the vulnerability of Africa’s manufacturing and industrial sectors, which are increasingly being targeted by ransomware groups.
CyHawk Africa recommends the following;
- Incident Response Readiness: Organizations should ensure that ransomware-specific incident response playbooks are in place.
- Data Backups: Maintain secure, offline backups of critical data to mitigate the impact of encryption attacks.
- Access Controls: Apply strict user access controls and enforce multi-factor authentication across all endpoints.
- Supply Chain Vigilance: Given Proplastics’ reliance on external suppliers, supply chain partners should also review their security posture.
- Employee Awareness: Conduct ransomware awareness training regularly to help staff identify phishing and social engineering attempts.