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Wales Online
Wales Online
Entertainment
Martyn Landi (PA) & Erin Santillo

Cyber attack could lead to Hula Hoops and McCoy's shortage

A cyber attack targeting KP Snacks could lead to a shortage of Hula Hoops and McCoy's crisps.

The food company, which also produces Skips, Nik Naks and KP Nuts, confirmed it was hit by ransomware at the end of January and has since launched a "cybersecurity response plan".

Customers have been warned the incident could lead to supply issues, according to industry news outlet Better Retailing.

The publication said KP Snacks had sent messages to shops warning it was unable to process orders or dispatch goods and that deliveries could be delayed or cancelled.

Disruption could last until at least the end of March, it added.

In a statement, KP Snacks said it is continuing to assess the situation and apologised for any disruption.

"On Friday 28 January we became aware that we were unfortunately victims of a ransomware incident," a spokesperson said.

"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.

"We have been continuing to keep our colleagues, customers and suppliers informed of any developments and apologise for any disruption this may have caused."

Ransomware is a form of cyber attack that locks files and data on a user's computer and demands payment in order for them to be released back to the owner.

It has been used in a number of high-profile cyber attacks in recent years, including the 2017 attack on the NHS.

Last year, the head of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, Lindy Cameron, warned of the growing threat of ransomware attacks, saying it "presents the most immediate danger to UK businesses and most other organisations".

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