Latest news with #WilfredEmmanuel-Jones
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How did Britain's food supplies become so vulnerable?
On May 15, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, founder of The Black Farmer food range, received an alarming and unexpected email. It was from a logistics firm that distributes food to UK supermarkets (including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Aldi) for him and other manufacturers, announcing it had been the victim of a cybercrime. The hack left Emmanuel-Jones in what he called a 'desperate situation': to be precise, it meant 18 pallets of Swedish meatballs from his smorgasbord brand were stuck in limbo – and at risk of being thrown away. Each pallet contained 160 cases; with seven packs per case, it amounted to a total of 20,160 packs of meatballs and an estimated retail value of around £100,000. If the meatballs did not make it to supermarket shelves, Emmanuel-Jones not only faced financial loss to his firm, but also scores of disappointed customers being denied one of their favourite meals. Coming in the wake of similar cyber attacks on Marks & Spencer and the Co-op, the hacked logistics firm was Peter Green Chilled – a distribution company based near Shepton Mallet, Somerset, which transports chilled food to stores. The attack has since cast a spotlight on how the UK's vast and vital food distribution, storage and warehousing sector operates, with questions raised about how often vulnerable the industry is to hackers – and whether more can be done to protect it. Emmanuel-Jones, who is best known for his award-winning sausages, says it was the first time his business, founded in 2004 on his farm in Devon, had been affected by cybercrime. 'If you're like us and a lot of other small companies, you've got to get a distributor,' he explains. 'The cheapest way of sending products around is by the pallet, but not all the supermarkets necessarily want a whole pallet. Peter Green [Chilled, our distributor] will also do the picking for you, so if someone wants a certain amount they'll do that. That's why they're crucial.' In its email, Peter Green Chilled said it had been the victim of a ransomware attack – which is when hackers encrypt a victim's data and lock them out of computer systems, demanding payment to hand back control. It left the firm unable to process or pick orders, although it later told the BBC its transport activities had continued. No one at Peter Green Chilled was available to comment to The Telegraph, but a source said it was 'busy trying to catch up'. Emmanuel-Jones said the result was that 18 pallets of The Black Farmer meatballs were left stranded in Peter Green Chilled's warehouse, 'with the clock ticking because they have a shelf life'. By the end of last week, he had managed to cut that number to eight, after persuading some supermarkets to accept full pallet deliveries. But, he added, 'to make matters worse', a fresh consignment of meatballs had just arrived from Malmö, Sweden – via the Port of Immingham in Lincolnshire – and he now faced the challenge of getting those to stores too. 'All of this has a dramatic impact on your cash flow,' he said. 'The distribution system does seem vulnerable.' Phil Pluck is the chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation, which represents the UK's temperature-controlled logistics sector – covering both storage and distribution. Its 270 members operate over 450 chilled warehouses and more than 40,000 temperature-controlled vehicles, from last-mile vans to 40ft trailers, ensuring food reaches consumers safely. Around 50 per cent of all food, whether it is produced in the UK or imported, travels through the cold chain. Walk into a supermarket and some of that produce is obvious: fresh meat, fruit and vegetables, for example. Yet other everyday items, including bread, cakes and often biscuits, also travel via it. Sometimes, food goes from a producer, port or warehouse to a general warehouse, too, which may hold products for a number of customers. Or, it may be sent to a regional distribution centre that is owned exclusively by one supermarket. 'What the cybercriminals know very well is that 450 warehouses of food isn't actually that many and that if you can disrupt the supply chain then it becomes serious very quickly,' says Pluck. 'There may be thousands of pallets in a warehouse belonging to 100 customers and they have to be delivered to hundreds of destinations.' He said an attack by hackers may result in a company being unable to read what is in their warehouses, or even to know where all their trucks are at a particular point. 'There are sophisticated warehouse management systems and telematics on the vehicles, tracking where they're going and what's inside them. If the hackers can get into the warehouse management system, they can effectively disable a very large quantity of food distribution, knowing full well that that causes major distribution problems that become very easily spotted in a public sense, very easily, very quickly, in that the result is bare supermarket shelves.' Around 10 of the federation's members have said they've been victims of cyber attacks in the past few years, Pluck adds, but he guesses that the true figure is 'way more'. There has been a 'much-increased' number of attempted attacks in the past year. The federation doesn't compile statistics on cyber attacks because, according to Pluck, they are 'guaranteed to be inaccurate' as some firms are unwilling to make it publicly known that they have been attacked, while others may resolve the impact of an attack before it becomes publicly apparent and then decide not to declare it. Most of the federation's members have cyber insurance. 'The cybercriminals don't necessarily care whether you're a supermarket, or whether you are part of the supply chain that serves that supermarket. What there is now are common software shares that allow the logistics supply chain to talk to each other. So that's another weak point,' he says. The cyber attacks have become more sophisticated. Where once they were what Pluck called 'chance' events with the attackers sending out thousands of 'friendly-looking' emails in the hope that someone might click on an attachment and inadvertently let them in, it's now not unusual for the attackers to look at a firm's client base or an IT service provider and then send a very legitimate-looking email saying, for example, 'We need to do a server upgrade.' 'They're hoping someone says yes and then that's it, they're in the system. Or they may actually mimic someone physically and send an actual human being to your premises pretending to be an IT service engineer who attaches something to your server,' he explains. 'If everyone in the system does what they need to do, then obviously you get greater protection, but it only requires one weak link in that. So, on our side of it, everyone has to be on their guard 24 hours a day and everyone has to be 100 per cent lucky. The attacker only has to be lucky once.' Pluck says the food distribution chain is vulnerable to cybercrime, but is no different from any other sector in that respect. However, he is calling for the Government to acknowledge the importance of the sector – which also distributes around 50 per cent of the UK's pharmaceuticals – and help to protect it with Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) recognition. 'It doesn't mean more money for the sector nor tighter or new regulation. But what it does give the cold chain is the ability to sit down with Government and create an Incident Response Plan. No such plan existed during Covid, and my sector just had to react as best it could. We got through it that time and fed the nation. But we can't be complacent and just muddle through again,' he adds. 'CNI will give us the clear platform to create a response plan as well as a recovery plan. Both are essential to supplying food and medicines to the UK citizen in the next major crisis.' Dray Agha, the senior manager at cybersecurity firm Huntress, agrees that cybercriminals are increasingly targeting food retailers and suppliers. 'Food supply chains rely on real-time inventory management, temperature control, and rapid distribution. A cyber attack disrupting these systems could lead to spoilage of perishable items, resulting in immediate financial losses. Paying a ransom may seem cheaper than absorbing the cost of wasted stock,' he says. Agha says firms should no longer see cybersecurity as a 'compliance issue' or a 'cost issue' but as something that can enhance a business and for which a healthy budget should be allotted. He says: 'Firms also need to invest in cybersecurity training and make security awareness a priority among the workforce; teach them that it's not just the responsibility of IT but the responsibility of everyone.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Daily Record
21-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Supplier for Aldi, Tesco and Sainsbury's 'held to ransom' in cyber attack
The UK high street continues to be affected in a strong of cyber attacks. The UK high street continues to be the target for cyber hackers. This time it has affected a supplier for some of the country's biggest supermarkets. Logistics firm Peter Green Chilled, whose clients include Aldi, Tesco and Sainsbury's, confirmed that it is being held to ransom by cyber hackers after an attack that happened last week. Based in Somerset, the firm has said that it is "relatively small" compared to some of the larger UK food distributors, although the attack is said to highlight the challenges smaller firms are facing. The attack, which is said to have taken place on Wednesday evening, was confirmed in an email that has been seen by the BBC, although the distributor has said it is "not in a position to discuss further." A ransomware attack is when a malicious software encrypts a victim's data, making it inaccessible. Hackers will then usually demand a ransom payment in exchange for the encryption key to reinstate access and control. In response to the ransomware attack, Peter Green Chilled is said to have provided its clients with "regular updates" and also "workarounds" on how to continue its deliveries, although one has said thousands of products could potentially go to waste. Managing Director Tom Binks said: "The transport activities of the business have continued unaffected throughout this incident." However, one of the firm's clients, Black Farmer founder Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, is said to have "something like ten pallets worth of meat" just sitting around, which could lead to them being "thrown in the bin." Emmanuel-Jones added: "There's no information. Everything along the chain has to be stopped, and then there are thousands of pounds worth of product that are just wasting away." It's just the latest in a string of cyber attacks that have been happening across the UK high street over the past month. M&S was the first known retailer to be targeted by ransomware group Scattered Spider, with all online deliveries and shopping orders being halted since Friday, April 25. The cyber attack hasn't just affected shopping orders, as the retailer's supply chain has also been affected, leading to empty Food Hall shelves, leading to a loss of potentially £1bn. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Since the attack, we recently reported how the high street firm is facing a multi-million pound court action by Scottish customers after it was discovered that the cyber attack had led to personal data being stolen. The Co-op was also a target after a ransomware group calling itself Dragonforce infiltrated its IT systems last month, stealing the data of millions of customers signed up to the supermarket's loyalty scheme. In more recent news, the Co-op confirmed it is now in "the recovery phase" after it took early action that restricted access to its systems, with availability online and in store set to begin going back to normal this weekend.
Powys County Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Food distributor for supermarkets hit by ransomware attack
A food distributor for major UK supermarkets has said it is being held to ransom by cyber attackers. Somerset-based Peter Green Chilled, which supplies retailers including Tesco and Aldi, was last week hit by a ransomware attack. It comes amid a raft of cyber attacks in recent weeks across the sector, with Marks & Spencer and the Co-op particularly affected by major hacks. The company, which is relatively small compared with other food suppliers, said clients were 'receiving regular updates' including 'workarounds' for its deliveries, according to the BBC. In an email, the distribution firm said the ransomware attack meant it was unable to process any fresh orders on Thursday last week. Ransomware incidents involve hackers gaining access to a computer system and using malware to steal or block access to files – often encrypting them – before demanding a payment, usually in cryptocurrency, to return the impacted data. Managing director Tom Binks told the BBC: 'The transport activities of the business have continued unaffected throughout this incident.' One supplier impacted, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, founder of The Black Farmer, revealed he had 'something like 10 pallets worth of meat products' with the distributor. 'Thousands and thousands of packs of products, sitting there, and the clock is ticking,' he said. Peter Green Chilled has been contacted for comment. Tim Grieveson, chief security officer at ThingsRecon, said: 'Cyber attacks on the supply chain are not just about digital data breaches. 'They are disrupting the physical flow of goods as we have seen in the case of M&S, Co-op and now for Peter Green Chilled. 'When hackers target logistics systems or warehouse operations, even a short delay can be catastrophic, especially for perishable goods such as fresh produce or pharmaceuticals.'
Wales Online
20-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Tesco, Sainsbury's and Aldi supplier hit by cyber attack
Tesco, Sainsbury's and Aldi supplier hit by cyber attack It comes amid a string of attacks with Marks & Spencer and the Co-op particularly affected A number of supermarkets have been hit by cyber attacks on their operations, causing some disruption in the last few weeks (Image: Getty ) A food distributor for major UK supermarkets has said it is being held to ransom by cyber attackers. Somerset-based Peter Green Chilled, which supplies retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Aldi, was last week hit by a ransomware attack. It comes amid a raft of cyber attacks in recent weeks across the sector, with Marks & Spencer and the Co-op particularly affected by major hacks. The company, which is relatively small compared with other food suppliers, said clients were 'receiving regular updates' including 'workarounds' for its deliveries, according to the BBC. In an email, the distribution firm said the ransomware attack meant it was unable to process any fresh orders on Thursday last week. Ransomware incidents involve hackers gaining access to a computer system and using malware to steal or block access to files – often encrypting them – before demanding a payment, usually in cryptocurrency, to return the impacted data. Article continues below Managing director Tom Binks told the BBC: 'The transport activities of the business have continued unaffected throughout this incident.' One supplier impacted, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, founder of The Black Farmer, revealed he had 'something like 10 pallets worth of meat products' with the distributor. 'Thousands and thousands of packs of products, sitting there, and the clock is ticking,' he said. Peter Green Chilled has been contacted for comment. Tim Grieveson, chief security officer at ThingsRecon, said: 'Cyber attacks on the supply chain are not just about digital data breaches. 'They are disrupting the physical flow of goods as we have seen in the case of M&S, Co-op and now for Peter Green Chilled. 'When hackers target logistics systems or warehouse operations, even a short delay can be catastrophic, especially for perishable goods such as fresh produce or pharmaceuticals.' Article continues below
South Wales Argus
20-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Food distributor for supermarkets hit by ransomware attack
Somerset-based Peter Green Chilled, which supplies retailers including Tesco and Aldi, was last week hit by a ransomware attack. It comes amid a raft of cyber attacks in recent weeks across the sector, with Marks & Spencer and the Co-op particularly affected by major hacks. The company, which is relatively small compared with other food suppliers, said clients were 'receiving regular updates' including 'workarounds' for its deliveries, according to the BBC. In an email, the distribution firm said the ransomware attack meant it was unable to process any fresh orders on Thursday last week. Ransomware incidents involve hackers gaining access to a computer system and using malware to steal or block access to files – often encrypting them – before demanding a payment, usually in cryptocurrency, to return the impacted data. Managing director Tom Binks told the BBC: 'The transport activities of the business have continued unaffected throughout this incident.' One supplier impacted, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, founder of The Black Farmer, revealed he had 'something like 10 pallets worth of meat products' with the distributor. 'Thousands and thousands of packs of products, sitting there, and the clock is ticking,' he said. Peter Green Chilled has been contacted for comment. Tim Grieveson, chief security officer at ThingsRecon, said: 'Cyber attacks on the supply chain are not just about digital data breaches. 'They are disrupting the physical flow of goods as we have seen in the case of M&S, Co-op and now for Peter Green Chilled. 'When hackers target logistics systems or warehouse operations, even a short delay can be catastrophic, especially for perishable goods such as fresh produce or pharmaceuticals.'
