Maersk’s vessels are still sailing and maritime operations remain unaffected by the cyber attack that damaged its IT systems across multiple business units.

“At this point our entities Maersk Oil, Maersk Drilling, Maersk Supply Services, Maersk Tankers, Maersk Training, Svitzer and MCI are not operationally affected,” the group said, continuing: “Precautionary measures have been taken to ensure continued operations. Maersk Line vessels are manoeuvrable, able to communicate and crews are safe.”

The group confirmed that the attack forced the company to shut down IT systems to help contain the issue. It is assessing the aggregate impact on its businesses and implementing business continuity plans.

The cyber attack affected a number of ports managed by APM Terminals. Maersk did not say how many, but earlier reports suggested up to 17 terminals were impacted by the hacking. These have been temporarily closed for IT experts to repair computer systems.

In its latest update, Maersk  said: “We continue to assess and manage the situation to minimise the impact on our operations, customers and partners from the current situation. Business continuity plans are being implemented and prioritised. The aggregate impact on our business is being assessed.”