A magnifying glass is held in front of a computer screen in this picture illustration taken in Berlin May 21, 2013. REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski (Reuters) - British shipping services provider Clarkson Plc (CKN.L) on Wednesday said it was the victim of a cyber security hack and warned that the person or persons behind the attack may release some data shortly. The company’s disclosure, while a relatively rare event in Britain, follows a series of high-profile hacks in corporate America. Clarkson is one of the world’s main shipbrokers, sourcing vessels for the world’s largest producers and traders of natural resources. It also has a research operation which collects and analyses data on merchant shipping and offshore markets. The London-headquartered company said it had been working with the police on the incident but did not provide any details about the scale or type of data stolen. “As soon as it was discovered, Clarksons took immediate steps to respond to and manage the incident,” the company said. “Our initial investigations have shown the unauthorized access was gained via a single and isolated user account which has now been disabled.” The company said it is in the process of contacting potentially affected clients and individuals directly, and that it has been working with data security specialists to probe further. Reporting by Rahul B in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Patrick Graham
One of the world 's main shipbrokers , Clarkson , has stated that it has been the victim of a cyber attack and has warned that the perpetrators will soon release the stolen data . The London - based shipping company has not provided any details on what type of data was stolen , however , a statement confirmed Clarkson has been working with the police on the incident . “ Our initial investigations have shown the unauthorized access was gained via a single and isolated user interface which has now been disabled , ” the company said . Clarkson is currently in the process of identifying potentially affected clients .