Australia’s second-biggest sugar producer, Mackay Sugar, is looking into a cyberattack that impacted parts of its operations and temporarily stopped sugarcane harvesting.
The incident caused the stoppage of milling activities at two of the firm’s facilities while authorities and experts tried to assess the disruption of the attack.
In a recent statement, Mackay Sugar acknowledged the cyberattacks and disruption impacting few of its operations.
The immediate priorities are ensuring staff safety, continuing business operations safely, and safeguarding operational systems. “Our immediate focus is the safety of our people, protecting operational systems, and maintaining business continuity,” it said.
About risk assessment
Mackey Sugar is also working with authorities to inspect the incident and recover impacted systems safety.
The incident directly impacted production operations. Local media reports have hinted that the company was compelled to close down its Racecourse and Farleigh sugar mills, two key facilities based in Queensland’s Mackay area. This caused the growers to stop harvesting sugarcane until notified.
The impact on production
The group also verified that the Farleigh and Racecourse mills’ cane hauling and sugar milling operations had been halted. Shortly after both facilities started their yearly sugarcane crushing season, there was an interruption.
Although many growers in the area have been impacted by the closure, producers in the Marian district have not been immediately impacted. The district’s third mill for Mackay Sugar is not expected to start up until next week, according to a report from Australia’s ABC News.
While recovery efforts continue, the sugar producer said it has put in place temporary measures and interim procedures to support critical business operations and minimize operational impact.
Mitigation processes
According to the company, “interim procedures are in place to support critical business functions and minimize disruption where possible.”
Additionally, the company stressed that throughout the event, it is staying in touch with growers, staff, and business partners.
“We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available and are in direct communication with our employees, growers, and key partners,” Mackay Sugar stated.
About recovery
Mackay Sugar acknowledged the anxiety brought on by the disruption and reaffirmed that company takes cybersecurity duties seriously.
“We take extremely seriously our obligation to safeguard our information, operations, and systems. We will give timely updates as we complete our inquiry, and we apologize for any inconvenience or uncertainty this incident may have caused,” the business stated.
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