German battery maker Varta says five plants hit by cyberattack

FILE PHOTO: Varta battery cells are displayed in this picture illustration taken September 27, 2017. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/Illustration/File Photo

(Reuters) -German battery maker Varta's five production plants were hit by a cyberattack on Feb. 12, the company said late on Tuesday, adding that the extent of the damage had yet to be determined.

Varta had to shut down the plants temporarily while the impact on IT systems is evaluated, it said.

The company has also set up a task force to restore normal operations.

Varta shares dropped nearly 3% after the announcement.

(Reporting by Andrey SychevEditing by David Goodman)