• 2 min read
Coca-Cola stops fairlife US output after ransomware hit
Coca-Cola says a ransomware attack hit fairlife systems and temporarily suspended all US production. Canada operations are unaffected.
Image: TNW
A ransomware attack has forced Coca-Cola to temporarily suspend all fairlife production in the US, after the dairy unit detected unauthorized access to parts of its systems, including production systems.
According to the company’s statement, fairlife identified the incident and activated its incident-response and business-continuity plans. Coca-Cola said it has brought in outside advisers and cybersecurity experts, and has notified law enforcement. The company also disclosed the breach to US regulators, as TechCrunch first reported.
“The full scope, nature and impacts of the incident are not yet known.”
Coca-Cola said Canada operations are not affected. It also said product quality and safety were not affected, and did not identify the attackers. As Engadget noted, the company has not yet determined whether the hack is “reasonably likely to materially affect” the business.
This is a significant disruption for a major brand, not a niche unit. fairlife generated an estimated $4bn in sales in 2024, according to TechCrunch, helped by strong demand for protein-focused products.
Ransomware attacks on food and beverage companies have repeatedly caused operational damage. Earlier incidents affecting Arizona Beverages and distributor UNFI led to weeks of disruption and empty shelves. In fairlife’s case, the breach appears to have gone beyond back-office systems: when production systems are hit, factory lines can stop outright.
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Sophia unpacks the invisible wars happening on our networks. Covering cybersecurity, privacy legislation, and cryptography, she exposes how our data is weaponized and defended. Before joining for(geeks), she spent years as a penetration tester. She's the reason the rest of the team uses physical security keys.
via TNW
