Clorox, the leading manufacturer of household cleaning products, has been hit by a devastating cyberattack that has disrupted its operations and caused a shortage of some of its products, including bleach.
The company revealed in a regulatory filing on Monday that it detected unauthorized activity in some of its information technology systems in August and took immediate action to stop the attack. However, the damage was already done, as the cyberattack affected significant portions of Clorox’s IT infrastructure, resulting in wide-scale disruptions across the company’s operations.
Clorox said it has resumed production at the vast majority of its manufacturing sites since the attack, but it has not been able to get back to full speed. The company said it is fulfilling and processing orders manually and expects to transition to normal, automated order processing starting next week. It also warned that the cyberattack and the delays will have a material impact on its current-quarter financial results.
The company did not specify which of its products are affected by the shortage, but some customers have reported difficulty finding Clorox bleach and other disinfectants at their local stores. Clorox bleach is widely used for laundry, cleaning, and sanitizing purposes, especially during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Clorox is not the only company that has been targeted by cybercriminals in recent months. Several major corporations have fallen victim to ransomware attacks, where hackers encrypt files or systems and demand payment for their release. Some of the notable cases include Colonial Pipeline, JBS, MGM Resorts, and Caesars Entertainment.
Cybersecurity experts have warned that ransomware attacks are becoming more sophisticated and frequent, posing a serious threat to businesses and critical infrastructure. The US government has also taken steps to combat the ransomware menace, such as launching a task force, imposing sanctions, and offering rewards for information leading to arrests.
Clorox said it is working with law enforcement and cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident and prevent future attacks. The company also said it is taking steps to enhance its security measures and restore its operations as soon as possible. However, until then, customers may have to brace for a possible Clorox bleach shortage in the market.
The Clorox cyber attack is not only a problem for the company and its customers but also for the environment and public health. Clorox is one of the largest producers of chlorine, which is used to make bleach and other disinfectants. Chlorine is also a key ingredient in the production of plastics, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and other chemicals.
However, chlorine is also a highly toxic and corrosive substance that can cause severe damage to the environment and human health if not handled properly. Chlorine gas can cause respiratory problems, eye irritation, skin burns, and even death if inhaled in high concentrations. Chlorine can also react with organic matter in water and form harmful byproducts such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs), which are linked to cancer and reproductive problems.
Therefore, it is crucial that Clorox maintains a high level of safety and security in its chlorine production and storage facilities. Any disruption or sabotage of these facilities could result in catastrophic consequences for the surrounding communities and ecosystems. The cyberattack on Clorox could have potentially compromised the safety and security of its chlorine operations, exposing them to the risk of leaks, spills, or explosions.
Clorox said it has not detected any evidence of environmental or safety impacts from the cyberattack, but it did not provide any details on how it is monitoring and protecting its chlorine facilities. The company also did not disclose the nature or origin of the cyberattack, or whether it involved ransomware or any other type of malware.
Some cybersecurity experts have speculated that the Clorox cyber attack could be related to the recent surge of ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, water, and healthcare. Ransomware gangs have been targeting these sectors because they are more likely to pay large sums of money to restore their operations and avoid public backlash. However, some ransomware groups have also claimed to have ethical or ideological motives for their attacks, such as environmental activism or anti-capitalism.
It is possible that the Clorox cyber attack was carried out by a ransomware group that wanted to extort money from the company, or by a hacker group that wanted to disrupt its operations and cause environmental or social harm. Either way, the attack shows the vulnerability of Clorox and other chemical companies to cyber threats, and the need for stronger cybersecurity measures and regulations in this sector.
This post Clorox Bleach Shortage Looms as Cyberattack Wipes Out Production was originally published at Finance Crave
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