A breach in the networks of the cold storage and logistics company, Americold, led to IT issues that affected some customers and employees. In a statement, the company said the security issue has now been contained, but investigations are ongoing.
The company added that the unauthorised access from the malicious actors occurred in the last week of April. The affected network was immediately shut down to ensure the safety of customers and other non-contained networks. The company is also still rebuilding the impacted systems.
Americold customers are asked to cancel inbound and outbound deliveries and reschedule them.
Due to the security incident, the warehousing and logistics firm customers are requested to cancel all non-critical inbound and outbound deliveries and reschedule them, except for critical outbounds with expiration dates.
While the company has not released detailed information about the cybersecurity issue, it apologised to all affected customers for the operational disruptions it caused. On the other hand, security experts believe the incident is a ransomware attack based on Americold’s emphasis on rebuilding its impacted networks and data recovery specialists are assessing which data can still be recovered.
Americold Realty Trust, Inc. is a warehousing and logistics American company based in Atlanta, Georgia. The company is one of the leading sources of technology-based engineered solutions for temperature-controlled storage of perishable goods, which help its partners in food preservation procedures.
The company employs about 17,000 employees worldwide, with branches across Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America, and South America.
This recent case is not the first time the company faced a cyberattack on its systems. Reports reveal that in November 2020, a cyberattack against Americold – believed to be from an unidentified ransomware group – resulted in major operational disruptions on its phone systems, inventory management, emails, and order fulfillment.
However, up until now, this November 2020 cyberattack incident has yet to be confirmed by the company, alongside who was the threat group behind it.
