Blue Yonder Dealing With Ransomware Attack
Supply chain software company Blue Yonder reported that its team is working “around the clock” to address a ransomware attack.
On Nov. 21, the Panasonic-owned company confirmed on its website that it was experiencing disruptions to its managed services hosted environment due to the cybersecurity incident. No time frame has been given for the restoration of the system and the issue potentially affecting Blue Yonder clients in the United States and United Kingdom. The provider shared that it is working with external experts on a recovery process using a variety of protocols and processes and, so far, has not detected any issue in its public cloud environment.
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“We have notified relevant customers and will continue to communicate as appropriate. Additional updated information will be provided on our website as our investigation proceeds,” a Blue Yonder spokesperson told Progressive Grocer in an email.
An industry analyst weighed in on the security issue. “The cyberattack on Blue Yonder is yet another reminder that retailers are at risk in the U.S., UK and in other global locations and they should brace for cyberattacks during the holiday season. This attack was likely calculated as the hackers are aware that the Thanksgiving Holiday is approaching and disruptions in the supply chain will leave many grocery stores in the U.S. with empty shelves at the worst possible time,” remarked Dan Lattimer, VP at Semperis, a firm specializing in active directory security, adding, “Kudos to Blue Yonder for dealing with this cyberattack head on but we still don’t know how far reaching the business disruptions will be in the UK, U.S. and other countries.” He also cited Semperis’ recently released holiday risk report showing that 70% of organizations have been victimized by ransomware in the past 12 months.
Based in Scottsdale, Az., Blue Yonder was acquired by Panasonic in 2021. In the United States, the company’s customers include large chains such as Albertsons Cos., The Kroger Co. and Wegmans and banners like Harris Teeter. In October, Blue Yonder reported that its 31 new customers expanded their footprint or added the company’s services during the third quarter of its fiscal year, including BJ’s Wholesale Club and Sheetz. As of press time, U.S. grocers have not yet commented on the attack and if has affected their operations.
The hack on Blue Yonder’s environment comes on the heels of another industry disruption. Earlier this month, Ahold Delhaize was hit by a cyberattack that led to some product shortages at its Hannaford and Stop & Shop stores.
