Ransomware Hits Supply Chain Software Firm Blue Yonder

Blue Yonder, a provider of supply chain software to manufacturing, logistics, and retail customers said it has been working “around the clock” to address disruptions caused by a ransomware incident.

Blue Yonder said it “experienced disruptions to its managed services hosted environment” on Nov. 21 and has been working with cybersecurity firms to restore systems. The company said it did not see any suspicious activity on its public cloud environment.

“We have implemented several defensive and forensic protocols,” the company added. As of Monday, there were no updates to Blue Yonder’s website regarding the incident or its restoration timeline.

The Scottsdale, Arizona-based firm, a subsidiary of Panasonic, has more than 3,000 customers in 76 countries, according to its website. They include Anheuser-Busch, Campbell’s, DHL, Ford, MIcrosoft, and Walgreens.

According to reports, several companies have confirmed being affected by the Blue Yonder attack, including Starbucks and UK-based grocers Morrisons and Sainsbury’s. Starbucks said its systems to pay employees and manage schedules have been affected, Reuters reported.

“Hackers have managed to target some of the world’s biggest retail and coffee chains during one of their busiest weeks of the year,” said Dan Schiappa, chief product and services officer at cybersecurity firm Arctic Wolf. “Once again, this shows how targeting one company can grant access to an entire ecosystem – in this case at a time when they are more likely to capitulate to ransom demands to avoid missing out on sales.”

Schiappa said it is necessary for companies to review cybersecurity, with baseline protection for partners and third-party service providers.