Following recent news that KP Snacks will limit the size of orders to retailers after a ransomware attack:
George Henry, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:
“The attack on KP Snacks is unfortunately unsurprising, given the rapid increase of cyber-attacks. We are likely to see more in 2022. Although this was an attack on the company’s digital infrastructure, the real-life consequences will be its compromised ability to safely process orders and dispatch products.
“In the wake of yet another IT-related crisis, it is urgent that food producers consult cybersecurity firms to improve their ‘cyber resilience’. For example, we can see an exemplar in Procter & Gamble (P&G), which has shown strong initiative by partnering with TrapX Security to install real-time breach protection. However, the same cannot be said for the industry as a whole.
“GlobalData’s Consumer Thematic Scorecard—which ranks companies based on how they are expected to perform within key themes—shows that many of the top consumer brands fall short when it comes to cybersecurity. In fact, the top 20 leading companies* see an average score of 2.9 out of 5. Comparatively, P&G stands out at a score of 4 out of 5. The growth of the digital economy has emphasized how susceptible non-tech companies such as food producers can be to online attacks. With such importance placed on food security today, the same importance must also be placed on halting manufacturing line downtime, the exposure of patented technology, and damage to brand reputation.”
David Bicknell, Principle Analyst on the Thematic Research Team at GlobalData, offers his view:
“Victims of ransomware attacks have seen significant damage to profitability in 2021, and there is every chance that 2022 will be just as dangerous. Unfortunately, no company is safe from attack.
“Hackers are becoming more aggressive, exfiltrating data from victims as an additional threat to get them to pay the ransom. If a victim delays payment, the hacker releases a portion of the data to publicize the exploit and heighten the pressure.
“Since there is no way to completely protect against malware infection, organizations should adopt a 'defense-in-depth' approach, which involves using layers of defense with several mitigations at each layer. As a result, they will have more opportunities to detect malware and stop it before it causes real damage.”
* Companies ranked as part of the scorecard are Unilever, Reckitt, Nestle, P&G, PepsiCo, L'Oreal, Diageo, Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Estee Lauder, Kellogg's, Danone, Mondelez International, AB InBev, Colgate-Palmolive, Heineken, Coca-Cola, British American Tobacco, Phillp Morris International and Imperial Brands.
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