image: Jonas Ekströmer/TT
The old and the infirm, as well as the young and beach-going, went to Coop yesterday only to be met by locked doors. Hastily printed signs were tacked up on entrance doors saying Coop was closed due to IT issues. Not just Coop but companies across the US and here in Sweden like security firm Gunnebo, pharmacy chain Apotek Hjärtat, Sweden’s railroad SJ and even the convenience stores connected to gas stations St1. All were hit by a ransom attack that shut businesses down on all fronts and in entirely different financial sectors.
The factor in common for all these businesses was the Kaseya software that they were all running. Kaseya offers software for remote management operation. The hacker is suspected to be REvil, an outfit straight out of Russia, and the same ones that shut down the beef supplier JBS in the US last May.
According to the Jonas Milton at the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (also known as MSB or Myndighet för Samhällsskydd och Beredskap), says to DN that both companies and society must prepare itself for more of these attacks. For companies, this can mean having a back-up, non-digital way of paying, having more suppliers in case one gets hacked, and that people need to be able to survive without stores for a few days.
In larger towns, of course, there’s usually an ICA not so far away. If ideological stances aren’t in the way, (grossly simplified – Coop historically being in the left camp and ICA in the right) there are alternatives. Unless, that is, you’re not just on your way to the waterfront but are rolling your way to the only store your wheelchair will get you to.