On Wednesday, produce giant Dole admitted in a document submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that its recent ransomware attack resulted in unauthorized access to employee information. The company had previously stated that the attack resulted in limited disruption of operations, yet some stores had cited product shortages due to the incident.
In the SEC filing, Dole reiterated that the “sophisticated ransomware attack” had limited impact on its operations. The company said that upon detecting the attack, it had promptly taken steps to contain it, and had hired the services of leading third-party cybersecurity experts and notified law enforcement. Dole has not revealed how many of its 38,000 employees were affected by the attack.
It is speculated that the ransomware used to penetrate Dole’s systems was file-encrypting malware, which has been confirmed by an earlier SEC filing that stated that the incident was particularly disruptive for the company’s Chilean and fresh vegetables businesses. Dole also said in a conference call that it did not expect to recover losses caused by the ransomware attack through cyberinsurance or supplier recovery.
At this time, it is unclear which ransomware group was behind the attack, as SecurityWeek has found no mention of Dole on the leak sites of any major ransomware operations. It is possible that the cybercrime group involved does not have a leak website, or that Dole chose to pay the ransom.
In summary, the ransomware attack against produce giant Dole resulted in unauthorized access to employee information, as well as disruptions to its Chilean and fresh vegetables businesses. The company has not revealed how many employees were affected, nor which ransomware group was behind the attack. It is possible that the group involved does not have a leak website, or that Dole chose to pay the ransom. Dole has also stated that it does not expect to recover any losses caused by the attack through cyberinsurance or supplier recovery.
Key Points:
- Produce giant Dole admitted that its recent ransomware attack resulted in unauthorized access to employee information.
- It is speculated that the ransomware used was file-encrypting malware.
- Dole has not revealed how many employees were affected, nor which ransomware group was behind the attack.
- The company has stated that it does not expect to recover any losses caused by the attack through cyberinsurance or supplier recovery.