When you grab a carton of milk at the grocery store, have you ever thought about the journey it took to get there?
From dairy farms and processing facilities to transportation networks and grocery shelves, countless moving parts work together to ensure products are available when consumers need them. Increasingly, one of the most important parts of that process aren't the animals or manpower, it's technology.
Recently, Fairlife, Coca-Cola's dairy subsidiary, experienced a ransomware attack that temporarily stopped production across its U.S. facilities after unauthorized access was discovered within its operational systems. While cyberattacks make headlines almost every day, this incident serves as a reminder of just how dependent modern food and beverage manufacturing has become on technology.
When that technology becomes unavailable, the consequences extend far beyond a computer screen. Production slows or stops, shipments are delayed, inventory levels become strained, and products may take longer to reach store shelves. The longer a disruption lasts, the greater the potential impact throughout the supply chain.
That's one reason food and beverage manufacturers have become increasingly attractive targets for cybercriminals. In an interview with 1Inc., cybersecurity experts explained attackers understand every hour of downtime creates pressure on operations, distribution, and revenue. In many cases, the effects can ripple well beyond the organization itself. Suppliers, distributors, retailers, and customers can all feel the impact when a critical manufacturer is unable to operate normally.
Part of the challenge is the complexity of today's manufacturing environments. Many organizations rely on a mix of legacy industrial control systems, cloud applications, third-party vendors, remote access tools, and modern business platforms. While these technologies help improve productivity and efficiency, they also create additional pathways that attackers can exploit.
Part of the challenge is the complexity of today's manufacturing environments. Many organizations rely on a mix of legacy industrial control systems, cloud applications, third-party vendors, remote access tools, and modern business platforms. While these technologies help improve productivity and efficiency, they also create additional pathways that attackers can exploit.
So, what should organizations do?
For organizations looking to reduce that risk, cybersecurity must be viewed as more than a technology initiative. Security tools, monitoring platforms, and technical controls are essential, but they are only part of the equation. Employees need ongoing security awareness training to recognize threats before they become incidents, and leadership teams should regularly participate in incident response tabletop exercises to understand how they would respond if operations suddenly came to a halt.
Technology can help stop attacks, but your people can help prevent disasters.
The Fairlife incident is a reminder that cyberattacks don't just affect computers. They can disrupt production, impact supply chains, create financial consequences, and ultimately affect the consumers who depend on those products every day. The next time you pick up a carton of milk at the grocery store, it's worth remembering that behind every product on the shelf is a network of people, processes, and technology working together to keep it there.
1. Amaya Nichole, "Hackers Just Pulled Off Every Food Manufacturer's Worst Nightmare. Now Coca-Cola's $4-Billion DairyBrand Is Shut Down," Inc., July 19, 2026. [inc.com]
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