In a shocking incident earlier this month, the food production company Dole had to shut down their production plants and halt shipments across North America due to a cyber attack. This attack was only revealed to the public after a grocery store in Texas posted a Dole memo on their Facebook page, explaining the halt in shipments of prepackaged salads. Dole has since confirmed that they were indeed hit by ransomware, and are working with third-party cybersecurity experts and law enforcement to investigate and remediate the issue.
It is not yet known which family of ransomware was used against Dole, if any sensitive data was exfiltrated, or if the attackers even made a ransom demand. However, this is not the first time a major food supplier has been targeted by ransomware. In June 2021, JBS, the world’s largest meat supplier, was infected with the Revil ransomware gang, leading them to make a payment of US $11 million to their attackers.
Ransomware continues to be a serious threat for organisations, so it is important for companies to follow best practices in order to reduce the impact of an attack. This includes making secure offsite backups, running up-to-date security solutions, using hard-to-crack passwords and multi-factor authentication, encrypting sensitive data, and educating staff about the risks and methods of cybercrime.
This attack on Dole serves to remind companies of the importance of cybersecurity and the need to ensure that all necessary security measures are taken. The incident is still being investigated, and it remains to be seen if Dole will suffer any additional consequences.
In conclusion, the cyber attack on Dole has caused them to shut down their production plants and halt shipments across North America. The incident is still being investigated, and Dole has enlisted the help of third-party cybersecurity experts, law enforcement, and is following best practices. It is important for companies to take the necessary measures to reduce the impact of a ransomware attack.
Key Points:
• Dole was forced to shut down production plants and halt shipments across North America due to a cyber attack.
• The attack was only revealed to the public after a grocery store posted a Dole memo on their Facebook page.
• Dole has confirmed they were hit by ransomware and have enlisted the help of third-party cybersecurity experts and law enforcement.
• In June 2021, JBS, the world’s largest meat supplier, was infected with the Revil ransomware gang and paid the equivalent of US $11 million to their attackers.
• Companies must take the necessary measures to reduce the impact of a ransomware attack.