Poultry processor Peco Foods this week confirmed it notified 48,170 people about a December 2023 data breach that compromised their personal information. Peco Foods did not publicly disclose what types of data were exposed in the breach, but it is offering victims free credit monitoring and identity theft protection services.
Ransomware gang Black Basta claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it stole 510 GB of data from personal documents, human resources, accounting, and more.
Peco Foods has not verified Black Basta’s claim. We don’t yet know whether Peco Foods paid a ransom, how much ransom was demanded, or how attackers breached the company’s network. Peco’s notice to customers states, “We have taken the steps necessary to address the incident and are committed to fully protecting the information that you have entrusted to us.”
Comparitech contacted Peco Foods for comment and will update this article if it responds.
The notice sent to victims reads:
“We recently experienced a network disruption that affected our ability to access certain systems. In response, we promptly initiated an investigation, engaging third-party specialists to assist with understanding the nature and scope of the disruption. As part of our investigation, we have learned that certain information within our systems was subject to unauthorized access on or around December 4, 2023. Upon discovery, we began a thorough review of the data potentially impacted to determine the types of information that may have been impacted and the individuals to whom it relates. On May 23, 2024, this process was completed, and we worked to confirm up-to-date contact information to provide you with notification as soon as possible.”
We recommend eligible victims take advantage of the free credit monitoring and ID theft protection offered by Peco Foods via Epiq.
Who is Black Basta?
Black Basta, not to be confused with Blackcat or BlackSuit, is a ransomware gang that first surfaced in early 2022. It operates a ransomware-as-a-service business wherein third-party clients can pay Black Basta to use its ransomware in their own attacks.
Black Basta’s attacks are highly targeted and often extort victims twice: once for a key to decrypt affected systems, and then again in exchange for not selling or publicly releasing stolen data.
Since 2022, we’ve recorded 129 confirmed ransomware attacks claimed by Black Basta, affecting 1.55 million individual records. 12 of its confirmed attacks were on organizations in the food and beverage industry, including Birchall Foodservice (UK), Lactanet (Canada), and Henry Lambertz GmbH Co KG (Germany) in 2024.
Black Basta further claimed responsibility for attacks on International Gourmet Foods, Lagunitas Brewing Company, and Sobeys. The Sobeys attack in November 2022 cost the company and estimated $54 million.
Ransomware attacks on US food and beverage
In 2023, Comparitech researchers logged 22 attacks on organizations in the US food & beverage industry, affecting 1,492,481 records. This attack on Peco is the third-largest based on records affected. The larger two were Sysco Corporation (126,243 records) and PurFoods, LLC a.k.a. Mom’s Meals (1,237,681 records).
So far in 2024, we’ve tracked 13 attacks on this industry affecting 30,543 records.
About Peco Foods
Founded in 1937, Peco Foods is a poultry processor and distributor based in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It employs more than 7,500 people across Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi, according to its LinkedIn profile.