Cyberattack on Peter Green Chilled raises UK supply chain fears

A prominent UK food logistics firm, Peter Green Chilled, has become the latest target of a cyberattack, reportedly falling victim to ransomware, according to industry sources. The company, which counts retail giants such as Tesco and Aldi among its clients, now finds its operations threatened while hackers demand a ransom to restore full services.

This incident follows a spate of cyberattacks against other high-profile UK retailers and their suppliers, intensifying concerns about the vulnerability of the UK's food supply chain to digital threats. Previous incidents have struck the likes of Co-op, Marks & Spencer, Harrods, and Sainsbury's, drawing attention to the mounting risk facing both frontline retailers and their less visible logistics providers.

Chris Dimitriadis, Chief Global Strategy Officer at cybersecurity association ISACA, said, "This latest attack on a UK food distributor, coming on the heels of major incidents at M&S, Co-op, Harrods and Dior, is evidence of a worrying trend. Cybercriminals aren't just targeting big names or critical infrastructure; they're hitting the supply chain, where the knock-on effects can be just as serious. Disrupted deliveries, wasted stock, and financial losses all have real-world consequences."

Dimitriadis urged organisations to embed cybersecurity as a fundamental business consideration rather than treating it as a technical afterthought. "What we're seeing is a reminder that cybersecurity is a business issue that must be embedded in corporate strategy. Everyone in an organisation, from the boardroom to the shop floor, has a part to play," he said. Dimitriadis also highlighted the role of government in shoring up national resilience, pointing to the need for strengthened auditing and reporting requirements amid growing digital dependency.

SecurityScorecard's research team, STRIKE, is monitoring what it describes as a worrying pattern of cyberattacks that is impacting not only food retailers but the collective digital supply chain. David Mound, Senior Penetration Tester at SecurityScorecard, observed, "The root cause for the latter businesses appears linked to a shared third-party supplier, underscoring the fragility of interconnected digital supply chains. These incidents reflect a growing trend among cybercriminal groups to exploit sectors where time sensitivity and perishability heighten pressure to restore operations, increasing the likelihood of ransom payments."

Mound detailed the operational impact of such attacks, "Disruption of food logistics and point-of-sale systems directly threatens perishable inventory, increasing leverage for ransomware groups." He noted that the strategies used by attackers mirror those observed in other critical areas like healthcare and manufacturing, where operational paralysis takes precedence over data theft. SecurityScorecard has called for urgent sector-wide collaboration to improve standards for third-party risk intelligence and resilience.

Siân John, chief technology officer at NCC Group, stressed that as direct cyber defences are bolstered, attackers naturally shift focus to more exploitable links in the chain, most notably suppliers. "By infiltrating the logistics firm relied upon by suppliers to major UK supermarkets, cyber criminals are effectively exploiting a back door to unleash widespread disruption," she said. John highlighted the misconception that internal security suffices, pointing out that a single vulnerability in the supply chain can rapidly cascade impacts across the business network.

John recommended leaders adopt a broad approach to cyber resilience, urging, "Do you know which suppliers are storing your data, for how long, and what their cyber security strategy is? The security of any organisation is only as strong as its most vulnerable supplier." She advocated for comprehensive threat acknowledgement, robust strategies, continuous supplier audits, and industry-wide collaboration as the only way to address what is now a shared and ever-evolving threat.

While Peter Green Chilled continues to grapple with the immediate fallout from the cyberattack, the broader message to UK businesses is clear: supply chain digital resilience is now crucial to protecting not only individual organisations but also the national infrastructure on which so many depend.