KP Snacks cyber attack could cause crisps and nuts…
Hackers hold KP Snacks to ransom: Cyber crooks ‘post employees’ private documents online and demand cash from UK food firm as attack risks roll-out of Hula Hoops, McCoy’s and Skips
Crooks said the company had five days to pay or it would post what it has onlineThey shared examples of credit card statements and birth certificates it has gotKP Snacks earlier confirmed that it had been hacked by ransomware in JanuaryIt said it could cause shortage in distribution of some of nation’s popular snacks
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Hackers are holding KP Snacks to ransom as they threaten to post private files stolen from the firm online.
Cyber crooks said on Tuesday the company had five days to pay up or it would post details it holds on employees on the internet.
They shared examples of credit card statements, birth certificates, home addresses and phone numbers they had nicked.
KP Snacks confirmed it had been hacked by ransomware in January and said it could cause a shortage in the distribution of some of the nation’s favourite products.
The firm, which makes Hula Hoops, McCoy’s, Skips, Nik Naks and KP Nuts, said it has launched a ‘cybersecurity response plan’.
Hackers are holding KP Snacks to ransom as they threaten to post private files stolen from the firm online. Pictured: Some of the brands it produces
Cyber crooks yesterday said the company had five days to pay up or it would post details it holds on employees on the internet
The Bleeping Computer website reported KP Snacks was listed on the site of the Conti hacker group in its confidential ‘data leak page’.
It said ‘credit card statements, birth certificates, spreadsheets with employee addresses and phone numbers, confidential agreements, and other sensitive documents’ were shown.
A screenshot, believed to have been taken yesterday, showed a countdown of five days below a headline: ‘data will be published after.’
Ransomware is a form of cyber attack which locks files and data on a user’s computer and demands payment in order for them to be released back to the owner.
It has been used in a number of high-profile cyber attacks in recent years, including the 2017 attack on the NHS.
Industry news outlet Better Retailing reported KP Snacks sent messages to shops warning deliveries could be delayed or cancelled because of the attack.
It said the disruption could last until at least the end of March and it could not safely process orders or dispatch goods.
The letter, addressed to Nisa, said: ‘After the initial investigation of an IT outage and the communications on Friday 28th January, with regret, we are now able to confirm that we have been victims of a cyber-attack and our systems have been compromised by ransomware.
‘Through the weekend our IT Team and third party experts have been assessing the scale of the intrusion and continue to do so.
‘As a result, at this stage we cannot safely process orders or dispatch goods. We have teams working through the resolution, but it is unknown when this will be resolved.
‘Thank you for your cooperation and patience while we manage the situation. We, KP Snacks, will keep you updated regularly.’
The letter, addressed to Nisa, said: ‘After the initial investigation of an IT outage and the communications on Friday 28th January, with regret, we are now able to confirm that we have been victims of a cyber-attack and our systems have been compromised by ransomware’
In a statement, KP Snacks said it is continuing to assess the situation and apologised for any disruption.
A spokesman said: ‘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.’
But it warned customers the incident could lead to issues in the supply of products in its range, which also includes Skips, Nik Naks and KP Nuts (file photo)
Keiron Holyome, VP UK, Ireland and Middle East for BlackBerry security, said: ‘This attack on KP Snacks underscores that the global cyber risk equally applies to British institutions and their supply chains, with KP Snacks now predicting shortages after a ransomware attack.
‘It doesn’t matter whether it’s logistics, fuel or food – these supply chains present unique and complex challenges from a cybersecurity perspective.
‘Businesses should not have to suffer the effects of cyberattacks. Endpoint detection and response focused solutions take action too late and do not prevent breaches.
‘Prevention is the best strategy. With a prevention-first and AI-driven approach, malware can be stopped in its tracks.
‘A prevention-first security posture begins with neutralising malware prior to the exploitation stage of the kill-chain.
‘By stopping malware at the exploitation stage, organisations can increase their resilience, reduce infrastructure complexity, and streamline security management. We do not believe that there needs to be victims.’
Co-director, Hyve Managed Hosting Jon Lucas added: ‘The KP Snacks ransomware attack is just another in a string of recent cyber attacks that have completely disrupted day-to-day operations.
‘More and more businesses are finally beginning to realise that the interconnectedness of the consumer economy will lead to more impactful cyber attacks, and that they consequently need to adapt their security strategy.’
Last year, the head of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre warned of the growing threat of ransomware attacks.
The organisation said it ‘presents the most immediate danger to UK businesses and most other organisations’.
