Approximately 11,000 Starbucks locations across North America have experienced disruptions due to a ransomware attack targeting one of its primary IT service providers. Two supermarket chains in the UK have also been impacted, and Ford is assessing whether their operations have been affected …
The WSJ indicates that the breach occurred at Blue Yonder, a prominent IT services provider with a reputable client roster.
Coffee enthusiasts can take comfort in the fact that sales at the stores have not been disrupted, as only backend operations have been impacted.
On Monday, Starbucks announced that the ransomware incident affected company-operated stores within its North American network of around 11,000 locations. It impeded the coffee giant’s ability to process payroll and manage employee schedules, forcing café managers to manually handle payroll calculations.
Currently, Starbucks is compensating employees based on their scheduled shifts, which might lead to potential overpayments or underpayments based on actual hours worked. The company assured that it would rectify any discrepancies to ensure baristas receive payment for all hours worked.
Supermarkets in the UK, specifically Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, have also reported disruptions.
Morrisons, operating about 1,600 convenience stores and 500 supermarkets in the U.K., stated that the outage has affected its fresh food and produce warehouse management systems. “We are effectively running our backup systems and are diligently working to serve our customers nationwide,” said a spokesperson from Morrisons.
Sainsbury’s, which has around 600 supermarkets and over 800 convenience stores in the U.K., has stated it is in “close contact” with Blue Yonder and has implemented contingency measures.
Ford has confirmed that it is also a client of Blue Yonder but is still determining whether its operations have been impacted.
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