How did an electronic attack in a company never heard of obstructing the carrot cake on the anniversary of almost the anniversary

Every year since we got married, my husband and I celebrated the anniversary of the carrot cake. Some years were from Amazing bakery in our old timeWhile others were a questionable new effort, it was captured in a train station store on its way to the house from the office, but I often baked my country.

The funny thing is, none of us really loves carrot cake. It has ended in one way or another until the top layer of our wedding cake is, so we have one every year. This is a tradition for you.

This year, on our twentieth anniversary, I had my mind Baking. Three -layer cake in the middle of a crowded working day may seem hard, but it is in a good skills set. I was armed with a new recipe and a giant bag of islands. I just need some major ingredients.

Always stalling, began to fill online shopping cart the night before. You also need a fairly imaginary dinner, as well as regular grocery stores for this week. But for my amazement, the default shelves of my NYC championship food were unusual. Restore Memories of the epidemic. The basic elements of the store that I buy every week, such as tortilla, pizza sauce and cheese were not stored. Thus was raisins and cream cheese that you needed for your cakes.

I felt a little panic at that point, I remembered a news a The electronic attack in one of the main suppliers at Whole Foods A few days ago, he forced her to take her systems in a non -contact mode. Some experts speculated that it might affect store supplies, but I did not expect the impact to be very and very important.

In the Internet criminals there are long retail companies, along with those that provide them, for each of their money and data. They know that if they succeed in violating these systems, it is possible that retailers will pay to make the problem disappear.

“This year was particularly bad for electronic attacks on retailers,” said Max Vice, Cyber ​​Vice President of MEMERSIVE, which specializes in training companies on how to deal with online threats.

So far this year, including retailers Adidasand Marx and Spencerand Harrodsand Cartierand Victoria’s secret and Northern face All electronic attacks that affected their operations have continued. Although the While Foods Supplier, united natural Foods, is not technically retail, the impact of the attack on it is still felt by consumers.

“This is not normal,” says Vetter, who worked in British law enforcement and as an intelligence solution before joining. “We haven’t seen this in retail and food in any other year I can remember.”

For companies, this may mean millions of lost sales and unexpected costs related to dealing with attacks. In the case of United Natural Foods, the price of his share decreased on the news, as it decreased about 20 % during the past week.

For most consumers, this means more than anything else. In my case, I managed to find raisins and cream cheese in a brick and mortar store, but I paid more than I wanted and took time that it did not come out of my day.

But for some shoppers, the result can be more comfortable. If the only store in a remote town is not able to re -store its shelves, this may not mean any food for people without a way to reach another.

“This is something that we must realize and do not think that we thought about this,” said Vieter.

Why the attackers attack

When attackers online follow retailers, they are looking for two things: money and data.

If they are able to lock the company’s system ransomIt is possible that the company will pay to support and operate its systems. The longer the amount of money that the company will lose. Moreover, empty websites are not just a great look of retailers. Shoppers who fear their data may choose to shop elsewhere.

And the attackers after their data. It is clear that credit card numbers and account accreditation data online can be sold in large quantities to fraudsters, but the less clear customer data can be such as names, e -mail messages, postal addresses and phone numbers.

Rob Einsco, Silverfort, Silverfort, the Silverfort in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Double extortion attempts, as attackers close the company’s system with Ransomwari and then steal and He says that a threat to issuing the company’s customer data has also become common.

“If they do not receive their salaries on the ransom, they will try to obtain salaries on the data,” said Ainsio, who spent a decade on an online trip for large multinational retail stores before joining Silverfort.

It can be said, this is what the attackers will get when they target any type of company, so it remains unclear why it looks very fond of retailers this year.

Vetter says this may be because retailers see it as easy goals. While banks and other financial institutions have long boasted with strong security practices via the Internet, industrial companies have strengthened their defenses in recent years in the wake of high -level attacks such as 2021 colonial pipeline ransomRetailers were slower to do the same.

He says that it may be difficult for security officials in companies that do not focus in particular on technology to obtain the resources they need from executives who may only see cybersecurity as costs. Unlike other types of most obvious technology, when Cyberdefenses operate, it passes largely without anyone noticing it.

“I think retail is one of the areas that you may not think was a big problem,” Vetter said, referring to the possibility of electronic attacks. “Obviously, I think they are doing now.”

The risk of supply chain

It is one thing if the electronic attack prevents you from requesting some clothes or new jewelry. It is another when it prevents you from putting food on your table.

The attack on the United Natural Food and the subsequent deficiency in many full food stores highlighting the fragility of the food supply chain. But Whole Foods, with the base of its wealthy customers and locations in large cities and suburban areas, is not the only store where its customers must shop.

This is not true for many members The cooperative group. It is a UK -based store chain owned by its members and serves more than 17 million people in the UK, and many retirees living in remote areas and may not be able to drive.

For some, they are the only stores in places like small villages in the islands off the coast of Scotland where people may need a phrase to shop elsewhere, says Vetter. So when Cooperation with an electronic attack Last month, there were many people feeling panic.

After discovering the breach, The cooperation soon took its systems in a non -communication modeIt may prevent them from becoming ransom programs. But its supply chain disorders and logistical operations had a significant impact on the delivery of the shops, which left their naked shelves.

Co-OP is left to define the priorities and knowledge of stores that need to be completely reassembled, despite the limited group operations.

“There is a real humanitarian danger of hunger,” said Vieter. “You don’t think about a relatively small store as a decisive national infrastructure, but for some people.”