Ransomware attack could lead to beer shortages

Finding your favorite Australian beer could soon prove difficult

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Ransomware attacks oftendisrupt business operationsand Australians could soon find it difficult to get a hold of their favorite beer as the country’s beverage giant Lion recently disclosed a cyber incident that forced it to halt production.

In anew poston its website, the company confirmed that it has fallen victim to a ransomware attack, saying:

“Our investigations to date have shown that a system outage has been caused by ransomware. The ransomware targeted our computer systems. In response, we immediately shut down key systems as a precaution. Our IT teams and expert cyber advisors are working around the clock, investigating the issue and assessing how long the impacts will continue. Our focus is on bringing systems back online safely so we can resume our business as usual manufacturing, and customer services.”

Lion had hoped to have full access to its systems restored by now but unfortunately the process is taking longer than it expected. Thankfully though, the company’s investigation has found no evidence that any of the financial or personal information contained in its systems has been affected.

Beer shortage

While other businesses were forced to close during the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, Lion was able to continue to safely brew beer and currently has stock at hand.

The company is continuing to work to bring its breweries back online while managing its stock levels closely. However, it did warn that there could be some temporary shortages as a result of the ransomware attack.

In addition to beer, Lion also produces and distributes milk, yogurt, other dairy items and juice. According to the company, some parts of its Dairy & Drinks business customer service are still impacted by the cyber incident and some of its manufacturing sites are also still offline.

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We often hear about businesses in the financial and tech sector being hit withransomware attacksbut this latest  attack shows that companies across all industries can fall victim to them as well.

ViaZDNet

After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.

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