Ferrara Candy

History

2021: Ransomware Virus Attack

In October 2021, Ferrara Candy, a company specializing in the production of sweets under the brands Nerds, Laffy Taffy, Now and Laters, SweetTarts, Jaw Busters, Nips, Runs and Gobstoppers, announced that it had been attacked by extortion software. The virus has disrupted IT systems and production. The company did not say whether it paid the ransom and which group of ransomware attacked their systems.

Glasswall CEO Danny Lopez, who specializes in cybersecurity, said it is likely not a coincidence that the attackers attacked the candy company's supply chain right before Halloween, well aware that urgency and demand at this time of year increase the likelihood of receiving the desired ransom payment.

Confectionery giant Ferrara Candy was attacked by a ransomware virus that disrupted production

Upon finding this, we immediately took steps to protect all systems and launched an investigation into the nature and extent of the incident. Ferrara Candy cooperates with law enforcement agencies, and our technical team works closely with third-party specialists to restore affected systems as soon as possible in full and as safely as possible. We have resumed production at individual production facilities, and we supply from all our distribution centers throughout the country, at almost full capacity. We are also currently working on processing all orders in our queue. The company wants to assure all consumers that Ferrara's Halloween products will appear on retail shelves across the country on the eve of the holiday, Ferrara Candy said in a statement.

Cerberus Sentinel Vice President Chris Clements added that this situation is further evidence that each company should plan actions in case of the worst-case scenario, for example, an ransomware virus attack. But even as various companies strengthen their IT defenses, hackers are also changing their attack methods, as well as constantly updating their viral bases to fully privately penetrate company systems.^[1]

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