Evraz Steel shuts down Regina plant after continent-wide computer hack

Evraz Steel has shut down all of its computer systems across North America as it deals with a continent-wide ransomware attack that hit the company sometime late Wednesday or early Thursday.

As a result, workers at Regina’s Evraz Steel plant are looking at cancelled shifts over the next three days after management told workers to turn off and unplug all of their computer systems.

Corey Liebrecht works at the plant and he confirmed news of the computer system hack.

Speaking with 980 CJME just before noon on Thursday, Liebrecht said there were a few workers sticking around the plant, but all systems were shut down.

“(Management) told us this is a ransom-malware problem that they’re dealing with, and it is right across their system in North America,” he said.

Phone calls to the company’s head office in Chicago did not get through to its operating system or any of the phone system’s extensions.

“They’re trying to contain it right now is what they told us … They’re not even on a fix or anything yet; not sure how long it’s going to take,” he said.

Liebrecht said night shifts for Thursday into Friday have been cancelled along with all shifts for Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the plant.

The company will issue layoff notices for those, he said.

Shifts are 12 hours long and they start between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Mike Day, president of the United Steelworkers Local 5890 that represents the workers, said he had yet to be informed by management of layoff notices.

More to come.