A cyberattack earlier this month led produce giant Dole to temporarily shut down production units in North America and suspend food shipments to supermarkets, according to a company statement that was obtained by CNN.
Some grocery buyers recently complained on Facebook that Dole-made salad kits were missing from store shelves due to a previously undisclosed attack that was caused by ransomware, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Emanuel Lazopoulos, senior vice president at Dole's Fresh Vegetables division, informed retailers in a memo dated February 10 that "Dole Food Company is in the throes of a Cyber Attack and have subsequently shut down our systems throughout North America."
The incident was caused by ransomware, a Dole spokeswoman said in a statement.
Part of Dole's statement read, "The firm has informed law enforcement about the occurrence and are cooperating with their investigation." The impact on Dole operations has been minimal, but the magnitude of the incident is still being investigated.
Source: CNN