Popular dairy brand Fairlife has temporarily stopped producing its products in the United States after a ransomware attack compromised the company’s computer systems.
Coca-Cola, the Atlanta-based beverage giant that owns Fairlife, announced Thursday that its dairy subsidiary had discovered “unauthorized access by a third party” to part of its systems — including systems connected to production operations. The company confirmed the breach was tied to a ransomware event and said it took certain operations offline as a precaution.
“Product quality and safety have not been impacted,” Coca-Cola said in a statement. “However, as a result of the incident, production operations at fairlife in the United States are temporarily suspended.”
Fairlife’s operations in Canada were not impacted by the attack. Coca-Cola said the full extent of the damage remains unclear, but noted that law enforcement has been notified and that cybersecurity specialists are assisting with the ongoing investigation and efforts to get operations back up and running.
A company spokesperson confirmed Friday morning that no additional information was available at that time.
Ransomware attacks — where cybercriminals demand payment in exchange for restoring access to compromised systems — are becoming increasingly common. Experts point out that attackers deliberately target well-known consumer brands, knowing the disruption will have a noticeable impact on everyday shoppers.
Cyberattacks have been hitting a wide range of industries, with recent incidents knocking out school services, leaving store shelves empty, and disrupting major retailers.
Chicago-based Fairlife reports more than $3 billion in annual retail sales. The company is known for its line of lactose-free dairy products, which includes milk and protein shakes.
