KP Snacks warns of crisps shortages after cyber attack
The snack maker behind Hula Hoops and Tyrrells crisps has warned of shortages as it battles a ransomware attack on its IT systems.
KP Snacks said it had been victim to a cyber-attack on its IT and communications systems last week, warning of supply issues until at least the end of March.
The company’s systems “cannot safely process orders or dispatch goods,” partner stores were told yesterday in a letter via the groceries wholesaler Nisa.
KP Snacks will limit the size of orders to retailers in order to manage its existing stock, it was first reported by trade site Better Retailing.
Household brands made by the Slough-based company include Hula Hoops, McCoy’s and Tyrrells crisps, Butterkist, Skips, Nik Naks and KP Nuts.
In a statement, KP Snacks said: “On Friday 28 January we became aware that we were unfortunately victims of a ransomware incident. As soon as we became aware of the incident, we enacted our cybersecurity response plan and engaged a leading forensic information technology firm and legal counsel to assist us in our investigation.
“Our internal IT teams continue to work with third-party experts to assess the situation. We have been continuing to keep our colleagues, customers, and suppliers informed of any developments and apologise for any disruption this may have caused.”
Hackers have threatened to publish stolen information from KP Snack’s IT systems in an attempt to force the brand to pay a ransom so it can continue operations.
Brits struggled to find their favourite snacks last year when Walkers was impacted by IT problems last autumn.