©KP Snacks
Intersnack-owned KP Snacks has fallen victim to hackers in a ransomware attack that could cause delivery delays until the end of March.
According to Better Retailing, which first published news of the attack, a letter from KP Snacks was sent to store owners on 2 February, and detailed that its systems had been “compromised by ransomware” and that it “cannot safely process orders or dispatch goods”.
The company, which owns snack brands such as Hula Hoops, KP Nuts, Butterkist popcorn and Nik Naks, revealed that the cyber attack wiped out its IT and communications systems beginning 28 January.
A KP Snacks spokesperson, cited by Better Retailing, commented: “On Friday 28 January we became aware that we were unfortunately victims of a ransomware incident. As soon as we became aware of the incident, we enacted our cybersecurity response plan and engaged a leading forensic information technology firm and legal counsel to assist us in our investigation. Our internal IT teams continue to work with third-party experts to assess the situation. We have been continuing to keep our colleagues, customers and suppliers informed of any developments and apologise for any disruption this may have caused.”
Messages, reportedly sent by Nisa to partnered stores on 1 February, told local stores to “expect supply issues on base stock and promotions until further notice” and that this could go on “until the end of March at the earliest”.
This is the latest IT attack in a string of ransomware events, including Spar wholesaler James Hall’s forced temporary closure of hundreds of stores in December due to hackers.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024