Ransomware, Third-party code, Supply chain

Third-party ransomware attack threatens Sweden’s liquor supply

Swedish government-owned liquor retailer Systembolaget, which is the country's lone vendor of alcoholic beverages, has warned of a shortage of some beers, wines, and spirits across the country following a ransomware attack against its distributor Skanlog, which its CEO Mona Zuko attributed to a North Korean state-sponsored threat operation, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.

With Skanlog not providing a clear timeline for restoring its operations, Systembolaget — which noted the potential absence of certain alcoholic beverage brands on store shelves — will be implementing a backup procedure should deliveries continue to be delayed, said a Systembolaget spokesperson.

Such an incident comes days after the integration of Sweden's National Cyber Security Centre within its cyber and signals intelligence agency as part of reforms that were recommended due to its poor performance. Numerous organizations across Sweden have also been disrupted due to a ransomware attack against a Tietoevry data center earlier this year.

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