Major food distributors who provide items to Whole Foods and other grocery stores have been hit by cyberattacks that could affect supply at some stores.
United Natural Foods, a wholesale distributor in North America, said on Monday, June 9th that fraudulent activities in the system were forced to force offline. Forensic experts and law enforcement are both investigating, the company said in a statement.
“We are working to assess unauthorized activities and restore the system to be secured online. As we tackle this through this issue, our customers, suppliers and associates are our number one priority. We work closely together to minimize disruptions as much as possible,” the statement reads.
The company said it was discovered on Thursday, June 5th, and in its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) “temporarily affected the company’s ability to meet and distribute customer orders.”
A Whole Foods spokesperson said the supermarket chain is working to restock its shelves as quickly as possible and is apologizing for the inconvenience to its customers.
One X user visiting the Whole Foods Store said the shelves were empty, adding that it “reminds me of when the pandemic first hit.”
In a Reddit post, one user shared photos of mostly empty freezer shelves with paper signs.
“We are experiencing temporary stock issues for some products,” reads Sign. “We apologize for the inconvenience, but your favorite products should be in stock soon.”
Cyberattacks threaten grocery retail businesses nationwide
Food and retail in the US and UK have been subject to an increase in ransomware attacks, according to Keith Wojcieszek, global head of threat intelligence at risk and financial company Kroll.
According to Kroll, data exfoliation and ransomware attacks have targeted the retail sector in an effort to ensure bad actors receive large-scale monetary payments. Last month, the company tracked at least 16 ransomware posts targeting retail organizations through its Frightor efforts.
“The biggest problem right now is the people behind the confusion and confusion of these cyberattacks. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to answer as hackers are increasingly interchangeable and decentralized without a clear organizational structure.”
Wojcieszek added that the retail sector is highly exposed to these attacks due to its reliance on digital systems.
Other US retailers have recently been targeted, including Victoria’s Secrets temporarily closing their website, as security threats and adidas reportedly fell victim to third-party data breaches.