Johnson Controls starts notifying people affected by 2023 breach

Building automation giant Johnson Controls is notifying individuals whose data was stolen in a massive ransomware attack that impacted the company's operations worldwide in September 2023. Johnson Controls is a multinational conglomerate that develops and manufactures industrial control systems, security equipment, HVAC systems, and fire safety equipment for buildings. The company employs over 100,000 people through its corporate operations and subsidiaries across 150 countries, reporting sales of $27.4 billion in 2024. As BleepingComputer first reported, Johnson Controls was hit by a ransomware attack in September 2023, following a breach of the company's Asian offices in February 2023 and subsequent lateral movement through its network. "Based on our investigation, we determined that an unauthorized actor accessed certain Johnson Controls systems from February 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023 and took information from those systems," the company says in data breach notification letters filed with California's Attorney General, redacted to conceal what information was stolen in the attack. "After becoming aware of the incident, we terminated the unauthorized actor's access to the affected systems. In addition, we engaged third-party cybersecurity specialists to further investigate and resolve the incident. We also notified law enforcement and publicly disclosed the incident in filings on September 27, 2023; November 13, 2023; and December 14, 2023." The cyberattack forced John...