Industrial technology giant Sensata Technologies has suffered a conventional ransomware attack that encrypted certain devices on the company’s network and disrupted operations.
Attleboro, Massachusetts-based Sensata designs and manufactures “mission-critical sensors, electrical protection components and sensor-rich solutions” for the automotive, aerospace, and industrial sectors. It employs over 19,000 people across 14 countries and reported an annual revenue of $4 billion in 2023.
According to a Form 8-K regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Sensata activated its response protocols, implemented containment measures after detecting a ransomware attack on April 6, 2025.
Sensata ransomware attack disrupts manufacturing and business operations
Sensata also proactively disconnected its network, resulting in the disruption of various internal and customer-facing operations.
“The incident has temporarily impacted Sensata’s operations, including shipping, receiving, manufacturing production, and various other support functions,” the SEC filing stated.
The company also launched an investigation with third-party cybersecurity professionals to determine the scope of the incident.
The subsequent probe determined that the ransomware attack resulted in the transfer of certain files from the company’s environment. For now, Sensata is working to determine which files were exfiltrated and will notify relevant regulatory authorities and potentially impacted individuals.
Meanwhile, Sensata does not anticipate that the ransomware attack will have any material impact on the financial results and operations for the three months ending June 30, 2025. Nonetheless, the full scope of the ransomware attack is still unknown, and that preliminary assessment could change.
Similarly, while the company has implemented “interim measures to allow for the restoration of certain functions,” the expected restoration time remains unknown.
So far, the threat actor’s identity and the attack vector remain unknown, and Sensata has not disclosed receiving any ransom demands or the fate of the stolen information. Similarly, no cybercrime gang has claimed responsibility for the Sensata ransomware attack.
Typical of a conventional ransomware attack that involves double extortion, the attacker is likely trying to establish communication with the company before listing the company on a data leak site and threatening to leak the stolen information.
While the nature of the stolen information remains unknown, it could likely include technical information such as product designs and blueprints, given the nature of the industry. Employee and customer information is also usually exposed during ransomware attacks, further expanding the scope of the incident.
So far, the ransomware attack seems to be financially motivated. However, manufacturing companies are frequently targeted for cyber espionage involving intellectual property theft. Similarly, nation-state actors frequently disguise themselves as ordinary ransomware gangs to hide their true intentions or even attempt to monetize their access by extorting their victims.
Considering that Sensata manufactures and supplies mission-critical components for various industries, including aerospace, transport, and energy, the ransomware attack highlights the growing cyber risk facing critical infrastructure and supply chains.
On March 12, 2025, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the FBI, and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) issued a joint cybersecurity advisory about Medusa ransomware targeting over 300 critical infrastructure organizations.
