The Swedish Coop grocery store chain closed 800 of its stores nationwide on Saturday after a ransomware attack on its American IT provider prevented employees from managing to operate cash registers. The attack, which took place on Friday, led to the successful hijacking of the widely used technology software of a Miami-based supplier called Kaseya.
The attack, said to be of a sophisticated nature, resulted in the malfunction of a tool that is used by Coop to remotely update its checkout tills. As a result, the major Swedish grocery chain was unable to accept payments.
With regards to the widespread attack, Coop spokesperson Therese Knapp made the following statement: “We have been troubleshooting and restoring all night, but have communicated that we will need to keep the stores closed today.”
In addition to the leading grocery store chain, Swedish company Visma Esscom was also severely affected by the attack. Visma Esscom overseas device and server management for a range of Swedish businesses.
Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist highlighted the seriousness of the issue, emphasizing on Swedish television that the dangerous attack showed just how necessary it is for Swedish businesses to elevate their preparedness to handle cyber attacks.
