Food giant Dole admits employee data breach in February ransomware attack

Irish food giant Dole, which suffered a ransomware attack on February 22, leading to the temporary disruption of production plants and food shipments to grocery stores in North America, has admitted that the threat actors have obtained access to sensitive information of an undisclosed number of employees.

In an annual report filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the company said they were the victim of a sophisticated ransomware attack involving unauthorized access. It added that the cyberattack directly impacted its employees’ information.

The company, which provides fresh fruits and vegetables to customers in more than 30 countries, didn’t reveal the data on how many employees were impacted by the breach. Notably, Dole currently has around 38,000 employees worldwide. When the company discovered the attack, it immediately took steps to contain it, hired leading third-party cybersecurity experts, and notified law enforcement.

The attack had little effect on the company’s operations. The attack was revealed after customers complained on social media about Dole product delays and store shelves shortages for over a week.