Federated Co-op Limited (FCL) continues to be affected by a cyberattack. However, it says customer data has not been compromised, which is good news for customers who shop at Co-op.
Over the past two weeks, co-op locations across Western Canada have been plagued by system outages, which have led to the closure of gas bars, a lack of inventory at grocery stores, hardware and other logistical issues.
FCL has noted that several systems were taken offline as a precaution when the incident was discovered. However, everything has now been restored, and all stores and gas bars are open. Businesses are trying to run as usual.
Locally, the Homestead Co-op in Carman and Prairie Roots Co-op in Elm Creek have been experiencing some issues these past weeks due to a lack of items on the shelves due to the cyberattack.
Homestead Co-op notes that its stores and staff are doing the best they can to help everybody despite the current lack of essentials on the store shelves.
The ordering system from which stores get their items has been affected at the local store level. So when you go shopping, shelves may be emptyer until the matter is resolved, as the supply may be down since the stores can’t keep track of what’s been ordered or sent due to the cyberattack.
On July 9, FCL put out its most recent statement on its social media pages:
“We are aware of statements made online that data was allegedly copied from the FCL IT environment and will allegedly be released. While it’s possible these allegations are related to the cybersecurity incident we previously experienced, we are still investigating with assistance from third-party experts. If the investigation determines that data was in fact compromised, as previously stated, we will take appropriate action.”
“It’s important to note that while this incident has been contained, upon first discovering that we had experienced a cybersecurity incident, we temporarily took a number of our systems offline as a precaution. As we continue forward with resuming normal operations, we’re working towards bringing all systems back online safely.”
When reached out for comment, FCL spokesperson Brad DeLorey noted that the only information he can release was included in the recent statements that the FCL and local Co-op’s put out on its social media channels.
He could not provide an update on when everything will return to normal at all of its Co-op stores across Western Canada, but that its teams are working as diligently as possible to find a solution.
“We once again want to thank Co-op members, customers and the public for their patience and understanding,” said FCL spokesperson Brad DeLorey.
