KP Snacks has said it is working on plans to keep its popular products on shelves after the company became the victim of a cyber attack.
The business, headquartered in Berkshire, has operations across the UK including Durham, Billingham, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Rotherham, Leominster, Pontefract and Uttoxeter, making popular snacks including KP Peanuts, Skips and McCoys crisps.
Read more: Go here for more retail and consumer news
Yet production is reported to have come to a halt at the company’s Billingham site which produces some of the country’s best-known brands, including Hula Hoops, Butterkist, while hundreds of staff have also reportedly been temporarily stood down.
At the Teesside base in Cowpen Lane Industrial Estate site, Billingham, a worker told sister site Teesside Live that staff have been told to stay at home.
The worker said: “All systems are down. No trucks in or out, production stopped, staff not at work. Barring a few keeping it mothballed.”
The cyber attack came to light after letters were sent to shopkeepers, alerting them to the fact KP Snacks’ systems had been “compromised by ransomware” and it “cannot safely process orders or dispatch goods.”
KP Snacks also reportedly told shops: “We have teams working through the resolution, but it is unknown whether this will be resolved.”
Retail website BetterRetailing.com claims orders could be affected until the end of March, or even later.
However, KP said the company is working behind the scenes to keep products flowing, despite disruption to its manufacturing processes.
The company said: “On Friday, 28 January we became aware that we were unfortunately victims of a ransomware incident.
“As soon as we became aware of the incident, we enacted our cybersecurity response plan and engaged a leading forensic information technology firm and legal counsel to assist us in our investigation.
"Our internal IT teams continue to work with third-party experts to assess the situation.
“While this is causing some disruption to our manufacturing and shipping processes, we are already working on plans to keep our products stocked and on shelves.
“We have been continuing to keep our employees, customers, and suppliers informed of any developments and apologise for any disruption this may have caused.”
