Britain is preparing for a shortage of crisps. Not a shortage of computer chips (well, this one has been going on for a long time already), but rather chips that we consume as an aperitif. The KP Snacks company has thus announced that it has been affected by a computer attack which broke out on January 28, as reported The Guardian.
The company thus sent a message to its partners and customers to warn them that their systems had been affected by ransomware and that the producer was not sure of being able to ensure its deliveries.
The company faces a “double extortion” type attack: an attack involving both the encryption of certain servers and computers of the company and the blackmailing of data stolen by the attackers. The objective is to extort a ransom from the company, threatened to see its data disseminated on the internet by cybercriminals.
Is that all the effect it has on you when you’re told we’re going to run out of crisps?
According to Bleeping Computer, the cybercriminal group Conti is behind this attack.
This group, active since the middle of 2020, notably distinguished itself in the attack that paralyzed the Irish health service, or in France the company Assu2000. In the documents that could be viewed by Bleeping Computer, the attackers shared some of the stolen data, including personal data of employees, contracts with other companies and strategic documents.
KP Snacks explains that its IT teams, helped by specialized companies, are working to restore the situation, but that the company is forced to limit the orders it can serve to establishments that market its products in order to be able to manage its remaining stocks to make in the face of demand. The company expects to suffer difficulties until the end of March. Until the company restores the operation of its systems and is again able to deliver to its customers, it would therefore be better to turn to the peanuts.