Alation confirms cyberattack following days-long investigation into customer disruptions

Enterprise data and artificial intelligence firm Alation confirmed Thursday that it had suffered a cyberattack, days after customers experienced a service disruption tied to the same incident.

Alation said it detected unauthorized activity within one of its systems and has launched an investigation into the matter. The company has not disclosed how the attackers gained access, what specifically triggered the breach, or whether customer data was accessed or removed from its systems.

"Alation recently identified an isolated incident involving unauthorized activity in one of its systems," the company said in a statement provided through external representative Stephen Russell. "We are conducting a thorough investigation of what occurred and we will provide additional information as appropriate."

The company has not disclosed the number of customers affected by the breach, nor has it said whether it notified customers directly or issued instructions on protective measures they should take in response.

Alation builds software that enterprise clients use to locate files and data through natural-language search. The company has broadened its offerings in recent years to include artificial intelligence capabilities aimed at converting large volumes of unorganized data into usable formats. More than 500 companies worldwide rely on its products, according to the company, including roughly half of the 1,000 largest firms in the United States by revenue.

The confirmation follows a separate incident reported Tuesday, when Alation said some customers experienced reduced service availability. The company stated the disruption was addressed within an hour of being identified.

Alation’s infrastructure runs largely on Amazon Web Services. Whether any data was removed from company systems during the breach remains undetermined.

The disclosure adds Alation to a growing list of technology firms handling large volumes of corporate data that have reported security incidents in recent weeks, as attackers increasingly focus on companies that store sensitive information on behalf of business clients. Earlier this month, multiple companies disclosed data theft connected to a breach at European shipping firm Ceva Logistics. Financial institutions and private equity firms have also reportedly been targeted by hackers in recent weeks.