How many times has a cybersecurity expert here on IndustryWeek told you the importance of patching your systems to maintain cybersecurity hygiene?

Why? Because here we go:

BleepingComputer today reports that GE and Philips confirmed investigating data breaches purportedly at the hands of the Clop ransomware gang. Shell confirmed on August 14 it also had been attacked, again supposedly by Clop.

The ransomware gang on its dark Web site claimed to have stolen data including diagrams, blueprints and project plans from 43 companies in total.

Also according to Bleeping Computer, the hackers exploited vulnerabilities in two software products from PTC, the Windchill and FlexPLM product management lifecycle (PLM) tools. This was a known vulnerability.

PTC in mid-June began releasing security patches for the software to close the vulnerability and urged customers to do so.

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) on June 25 confirmed the existence of the vulnerability and mandated federal agencies to patch all instances of Windchill and FlexPLM within three days of the announcement.

So the next time you read a cybersecurity expert on IndustryWeek advising you to patch your systems, this is what they’re talking about.

Philips told Reuters the breach did not “impact customer environments.”  No word from GE, Shell, or anyone else about the effect of the breaches. If you see anyone filing 8-K forms with the SEC, that’s when things might get a lot more interesting.