Synlab in Italy

Hacker attack paralyzes Europe’s largest laboratory operator

Europe's largest laboratory chain Synlab has been the target of a hacker attack in Italy. Business operations in the country have been largely suspended, the SDax-listed company announced on Friday evening.

The cyber attack was reportedly discovered on Thursday morning. The computer systems were then deactivated as a precautionary measure. According to the statement, business operations outside Italy were not affected by the incident.

According to Synlab, it is not yet possible to estimate the financial impact of the incident. Internal and external experts are working on minimizing the consequences of the incident, restoring the computer systems and resuming full operations in Italy as quickly as possible. Synlab had alerted the law enforcement authorities and was working closely with the relevant authorities.

The news was not well received on the financial market: In after-hours trading on the Tradegate platform, Synlab shares lost around three and a half percent compared to the Xetra closing price.