Fairlife, a milk brand owned by Coca-Cola, has paused its production in the U.S. due to a ransomware cyberattack that compromised its systems.
On Thursday, Coca-Cola announced that some of Fairlife’s systems, including those related to production, had been accessed by unauthorized third parties. The company stated that it took certain operations offline to manage the situation.
Coca-Cola reassured consumers that “product quality and safety are not affected,” although operations at Fairlife’s U.S. facilities are temporarily halted.
Fortunately, Fairlife’s operations in Canada remain unaffected. The full extent and consequences of the attack are still unclear, but Coca-Cola has contacted law enforcement and is collaborating with cybersecurity specialists to investigate and restore functionality.
As of Friday morning, a spokesperson indicated there were no additional updates to provide.
Cyberattacks are increasing across various sectors. Recent incidents have disrupted everything from major educational platforms to inventory shortages in well-known retail stores.
Ransomware attacks, which involve hackers demanding hefty payments to fix compromised systems, often target recognized brands because the impact is more pronounced when consumer essentials are involved.
Fairlife, based in Chicago, reports annual retail sales exceeding $3 billion and not only produces milk but also a range of lactose-free products like protein shakes.
