Surfwear giants Billabong and Quiksilver are hit by a crippling cyber attack disrupting pre-Christmas sales

  • Stores hit by international hackers two weeks ago and still facing disruptions 
  • International operations, IT systems, communications, sales were all affected
  • Company issued a statement saying they are working quickly to resolve issue 

Computer hackers have launched a cyber attack on the Billabong and Quiksilver websites.

Boardriders Inc, the US company which owns Quiksilver and Billabong - both founded in Australia - was targeted by international hackers two weeks ago. 

Customers are still reporting problems while using the company's websites.

The Californian-based company's international operations, IT systems, communications, sales and distribution were all affected by the hack, the Sunshine Coast Daily reported. 

The Billabong website is facing disruptions after international hackers hit them with a cyber attack (Pictured: a Billabong store)

The Billabong website is facing disruptions after international hackers hit them with a cyber attack (Pictured: a Billabong store)

Boardriders Inc, the US company which owns Gold Coast-based Billabong and Torquay-founded Quiksilver, was attacked by international hackers two weeks ago (stock image)

Boardriders Inc, the US company which owns Gold Coast-based Billabong and Torquay-founded Quiksilver, was attacked by international hackers two weeks ago (stock image)

Australian shoppers have been told to expact a week's delay in shipping for their Billabong items, while international customers were offered 20 per cent discounts.   

Boardriders Inc issued a statement saying their team has been working hard to resolve the issue and thanked customers for their patience.

'Our IT teams have been working to quickly restore our systems to support our operations, which are now largely transacting and shipping normally,' the company said in the statement.

'We are proud of how our teams have responded to this challenge, and we are incredibly grateful for their hard work.

'We also greatly appreciate our customers' and vendors' patience and support during this brief interruption.'

Billabong was formed by Gold Coast surfboard manufacturer Gordon Merchant and his wife Rena, who made boardshorts on their kitchen table at Burleigh Heads in 1973.

The company eventually went global and was worth hundreds of millions of dollars before being bought out by Boardriders in 2018. 

Quiksilver was founded in 1969 in Torquay, Victoria, and is now based in Huntington Beach, California. 

Boardriders Inc issued a statement saying their team has been working hard to resolve the issue and thanked customers for their patience (pictured: a Quiksilver store)

Boardriders Inc issued a statement saying their team has been working hard to resolve the issue and thanked customers for their patience (pictured: a Quiksilver store)