British shoppers have been warned to expect some of their favorite snacks to be in short supply following a ransomware attack on a major manufacturer.

KP Snacks has been producing snacks in Britain since the 1850s, but this production has recently run into a major obstacle: ransomware. Cyber criminals have successfully launched a ransomware attack on KP Snacks, and its effects are running deep. Due to the impact of the ransomware on their IT infrastructures, KP Snacks has had to advise stores that delays in production are expected. As a result, British shoppers are likely to be facing empty shelves when they head out to pick up their favorite snacks.

Snack food may not be crucial to society, but the impacts of this hack demonstrate why organizations need to remain vigilant.

The Story Behind the Snack Attack

Following an unexplained outage of their IT systems, KP Snacks investigated and discovered that they had fallen victim to a strain of ransomware. The exact details of the ransomware in question has not, as of yet, been disclosed. However, rumors are circulating that the attack was launched by the WizardSpider group, a gang of hackers who attacked the Irish health service in 2021. It’s alleged, according to leaked sources, that KP Snacks was given five days to pay a ransom fee, but clarification on this is lacking.

The response of KP Snacks has been to launch a defensive strike against the attack. Being a major organization, the snack makers had a cybersecurity response plan which was quickly put into action. Third-party security experts have also been drafted in to complete a forensic analysis of the firm’s IT infrastructure. Nonetheless, the disruption to productivity has hit KP Snacks hard. As well as their IT systems being compromised, their communications systems have been hit equally hard. In modern business, these two elements are essential for operating and, as a result, supply shortages are expected.

Protecting Yourself Against Ransomware

While a shortage of snacks may sound like a mild inconvenience, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Not only is there a financial risk for KP Snacks, but the company’s employees can also expect financial ramifications e.g. delayed payments due to compromised IT systems and even the threat of redundancy. Naturally, this is a situation that no organization wants to find itself in, so make sure you always follow this advice:

  • Always Backup: the main impact of ransomware is that it encrypts files before demanding a ransom fee to decrypt them. However, you can minimize the impact of this effect by ensuring you have a strong backup strategy in place. This will provide you with access to your data and provide you with business continuity.
  • User Training: ransomware can be activated in a number of different ways such as infected emails, malicious links and running outdated software. Thankfully, shutting these attack routes down is relatively easy with the correct training. Therefore, regular staff training is vital when it comes to securing your IT defenses.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

Read More


We take it for granted that every employee knows how to use a PC, but this isn’t always the case. Particularly if it’s a non-tech employee.

As our workplaces and industries have become more computerized, the need for PCs has increased. And this need is one which has spread to almost every corner of the workplace. Therefore, employees that haven’t previously needed to use a PC are now being asked to use one. For example, warehouse staff and engineers may now need to detail their workload digitally for other departments to access it quickly. However, for this to be achieved effectively, these new PC users need to learn how to use a PC.

This may sound like a mountain to climb, but if you know how to train them correctly then it becomes much easier.

Training Tips for Non-Tech Employees

Everyone learns at a different pace and responds to different techniques, but the following tips should help you get everyone off to a good start:

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

Read More