Fairlife ransomware attack eases as Coca-Cola restarts milk production
Coca-Cola says most Fairlife production is back after a ransomware attack halted work at four U.S. plants.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
2 min read
Coca-Cola says the Fairlife ransomware attack that knocked out operations at four U.S. plants is easing, with most production of the dairy brand's milk beverages now back online.
The company said Monday that it has made “significant progress” restoring service at the affected facilities and has restarted the majority of production. Coca-Cola said it is still working to bring production operations fully back.
The disruption began after Coca-Cola disclosed on July 16 that an unauthorized third party had accessed some Fairlife technology systems. The company described the incident as a ransomware attack.
Ransomware is a type of cyberattack in which hackers typically lock or disrupt computer systems and demand payment to restore access. Coca-Cola has not said whether any ransom was demanded or paid.
Is Fairlife milk safe after the ransomware attack?
Coca-Cola said the incident did not affect the quality or safety of Fairlife products. The company also said retail availability has been largely spared because stores had existing inventory on hand.
“Retail availability of Fairlife products has been largely unimpacted, due to the availability of existing inventory. Product quality and safety have not been impacted,” Coca-Cola said in its Monday statement.
The company said hackers obtained “certain data” during the incident. Coca-Cola did not specify what data was taken in the details cited in its statement.
For shoppers, the key point is that Coca-Cola says Fairlife products have continued to reach shelves with little interruption, even while plant operations were paused. The company also said it does not expect the cyberattack to have a meaningful effect on sales.
What Fairlife means to Coca-Cola
Fairlife is one of Coca-Cola's roughly 200 beverage brands. Coca-Cola bought the dairy brand from Select Milk Producers in 2020 for about $7 billion.
The brand is a major piece of Coca-Cola's drinks business. According to Coca-Cola, Fairlife generates more than $3 billion in annual sales.
The cyberattack forced Coca-Cola to temporarily stop Fairlife milk operations in the United States. With most production now resumed, the company is trying to finish the recovery while monitoring the data breach tied to the ransomware incident.
Coca-Cola has said the disruption was limited to Fairlife operations. It has not reported a product safety problem connected to the attack.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.