Tens of thousands of people were left hungry because of hackers' mischiefs.
According to the statement of the American corporation Yum! Brands, Inc., which owns brands such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, closed nearly 300 fast food restaurants in the UK in a recent ransomware attack. The statement was published on January 18.
Yum! stated that the incident affected "some information technology systems", and data from the company's internal networks was leaked. The investigation is ongoing, and company representatives assure that "at this stage, there is no evidence that customer databases were stolen."
The company said it promptly "initiated response protocols, including deploying containment measures such as taking certain systems offline and implementing improved monitoring technology." Third-party experts in cybersecurity and forensics were also involved.
Although the activities of the hackers were seen exclusively on UK networks, Yum! informed, among other things, US federal law enforcement agencies.
“Less than 300 restaurants in the United Kingdom were closed for a single day, but they are all currently open,” the company said, adding that it is “actively engaged in a full recovery of damaged systems, which is expected to be largely completed in the coming days.” ".
Foreign publications asked Yum! the question was whether they paid the ransom to the intruders who penetrated the restaurant system, but there was no answer yet. “While this incident caused temporary disruptions, there are currently no disruptions to the restaurants. This event will not have a material adverse effect on the company's business, operations or financial results," the statement said.