Dole declares data breach incident from a past ransomware attack

Dole, a leading fresh products producer company, has admitted that the threat actors behind the February ransomware attack against their system have accessed the information of their employees. However, the company has not disclosed the exact number of affected data.

A recent tally revealed that the company has about 38,000 employees worldwide that provide fresh fruits and vegetables to its customers in nearly 80 countries.

According to the company, last month’s cyberattack only affected employees’ data. They filed a cybersecurity incident report to the US Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this week.

The report included the confirmation of Dole regarding a ransomware attack against their systems in February this year. Unfortunately, the same campaign has resulted in unauthorised access to the company’s employee information.

The company implemented a containment action to limit the attack upon noticing the unwanted access. Moreover, Dole retained the services of a third-party cybersecurity expert and notified the relevant law enforcement agencies.

 

The February 22 attack on Dole had a limited impact on its operations.

 

Dole confirmed that the attack affected their operations after numerous customers complained about delays and shortages of their products on store shelves for a week.

One Grocery store leaked a memo sent by the producer company, which stated that Dole would employ a crisis management protocol and Manual Backup Program. The leak showed that the Dole is willing to resume its production through manual operations, which would have helped resume the productions and shipments, but at a slower pace.

Dole clarified to its customers that they would resume the average pace of their operations after the Manual Backup Program. However, the company asked its patrons to be patient with their inconsistencies while resolving the problem.

The company claimed that the ransomware attack had a limited impact on its operations. On the other hand, cybersecurity experts believe that the attack caused more damage than expected, forcing the company to shut down its production plants across North America.

Currently, there is limited data on what employee data fell into the palms of the attackers. Employees and customers should be wary of potential phishing attempts.