Alation, an enterprise data software company that counts roughly half of the Fortune 1000 among its customers, has confirmed a cyberattack. The company disclosed the incident on Thursday, days after reporting an unspecified problem that caused degraded service for some users. Alation provides tools that let businesses search files and data using natural language queries, and it has recently expanded into AI features that help clients turn large volumes of messy information into usable content. The company says it serves more than 500 global businesses.
The confirmation came in a statement provided to TechCrunch by an external representative, Stephen Russell. Alation said it had identified an isolated incident involving unauthorized activity in one of its systems and that it was conducting a thorough investigation. The company said it would provide additional information as appropriate but did not specify the nature of the attack, the root cause, or how many customers were affected. It also did not say whether it had alerted customers or advised them on defensive actions.
On Tuesday, Alation reported an incident that resulted in degraded availability for some customers, which the company said was resolved within an hour. Much of Alation’s systems are hosted on Amazon Web Services, though it is not immediately clear if any data was stolen or exfiltrated. The company has not responded to questions about whether the two events are connected.
This attack is the latest in a string of recent cybersecurity incidents targeting large technology firms, as hackers increasingly go after companies that hold sensitive or proprietary data for corporate clients. Earlier this month, several companies reported data thefts following a breach at European shipping giant Ceva Logistics. Hackers are also said to be targeting financial firms and private equity companies in recent weeks.
The breach raises concerns for Alation’s U.S. customer base, given that the company’s client list includes some of the largest corporations in the country. Alation has not said whether any customer data was compromised, nor has it provided guidance for affected organizations. The investigation remains ongoing, and the company has offered no timeline for further updates.
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