SpaceX, Tesla contractor hit by ransomware attack

March 2 (UPI) -- A Colorado-based parts manufacturer that does work for Tesla Motors and SpaceX was hit by a ransomware attack over the weekend, company officials said.

Visser Precision said the "cybersecurity incident" was caused by the ransomware DopplePaymer, a file-encrypting malware, and the hackers threatened to leak files if a ransom is not paid.

A spokesman said the company was a "recent target of a criminal cybersecurity incident" that included data theft. Visser said it was performing a "comprehensive" investigation.

A website containing the stolen files included folders from Tesla and SpaceX, as well as Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Non-disclosure agreements between Visser, Tesla and SpaceX were included in the data dump.

"Because so many actors now steal data, all ransomware incidents should be considered to be data breaches and it is absolutely critical that incidents be promptly disclosed," analyst Brent Callow said.

The DoppelPaymer malware was also recently used in an attack against staffing firm Allied Universal, which lost employee and business data after it refused to pay $2.3 million in ransom.