Ferrara Hit With Ransomware Attack

Oct. 22, 2021
The company first noticed that hack on October 9 and says it has been able to resume production "in select manufacturing facilities."

Ferrara is experiencing a fright at the most fearful time of the year for a candy manufacturer: Halloween. The U.S. candy maker, known for brands like Lemonheads, Nerds, SweeTarts, Laffy Taffy, Red Hots, and Atomic Fireballs, has been experiencing a cybersecurity incident due to a ransomeware attack.

The hack, which was disclosed October 19 and has been reported on sites such as ZDNet, The Hill, and Tech Times was first spotted at Ferrara on Oct. 9. According to statements issued by the company, the hackers encrypted the company's computer system and demanded a payment. The company, which is headquartered in Chicago, has indicated it has been able to resume production in select manufacturing facilities, but is shipping near to capacity from all of its distribution centers.

Ferrara is one of several major food companies in the U.S. that has experienced a cyber-attack this year. In March, Molson Coors experienced a cybersecurity incident while JBS was shut down momentarily due to a ransomware attack in June.

About the Author

Erin A. Hallstrom

Erin Hallstrom oversaw our digital content strategy for the Food Processing brand from 2008-2023. She is now the Associate Director of SEO Strategy for Endeavor Business Media, where she holds technical certifications in both website analytics and search engine optimization. Most recently, she was named the 2022 Marianne Dekker Mattera Award Winner

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