Ransomware attack hits 11,000 Starbucks in US, Canada; UK supermarkets also targeted

Starbucks

In a global ransomware attack targeting Blue Yonder, a leading supply chain management software provider, has caused significant disruptions for businesses across North America and the UK.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the attack began on November 21 and has affected operations at 11,000 Starbucks locations in the United States and Canada. Furthermore, it also has impacted UK supermarket chains, including Morrisons and Sainsbury’s.

As per a report by CNN, Starbucks has been forced to rely on manual processes to manage employee schedules and payroll due to the outage. Despite these challenges, the coffee giant assured customers that store operations and customer service remain unaffected. The company said that the baristas will be paid for all the hours they have put in.

In the UK, the attack disrupted warehouse management systems for fresh food and produce at Morrisons. The supermarket chain has since activated backup systems and reported that stores are now operating satisfactorily, as per reports.

Sainsbury’s, another Blue Yonder client, confirmed it has implemented contingency plans and remains in close communication with the software provider.

Blue Yonder provides supply chain solutions to industries such as retail, manufacturing, and automotive. The company has engaged cybersecurity experts to recover its systems and is implementing advanced security protocols to prevent future breaches.

The report by CNN suggests that Blue Yonder has engaged cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike to deal with and recover from the hack. The company hasn’t made any comment so far except one public statement where it said that it is “working around the clock to respond to this incident and continues to make progress.”

CrowdStrike was in the news earlier this year when a massive outage led to Microsoft Windows PCs crashing all over the world.