Sweden’s Liquor Supply Hight and Dry After Cyberattack

Skoal! Well, maybe not, according to many Swedes these days. It’s a sobering scenario many countries and their patriots can’t begin to fathom much less endure. Nevertheless, it happened. A ransomware attack on Sweden’s largest alcohol supplier left the country and its contented customers with precious little to cheer about.

It all started when Skanlog, Sweden’s government-owned alcohol distributor, suffered the attack. Skanlog is responsible for the logistics operations at the heart of Sweden’s alcohol supply. The company’s chief executive says the ransomware strike was at the hands of a North Korean ransomware gang.

News of the attack travelled fast, and Swedes rushed to stock up for the shaky situation. The retail chain selling liquor to the public, Systembolaget, woke to a major headache finding there was nothing to replace the bottles flying off the shelves.

Even though a ransomware attack on Sweden’s alcohol supply may seem a bit frivolous, it’s another example of nation-state actors flexing their muscles to make a point: we can attack you at will. They mean business, and attacks are on the rise the world over. Bartender, shot please!

To keep the liquor flowing without further hiccups, Systembolage retailer announced implementing steps to minimize the damage from this and any future ransomware attacks. Recuperating quickly is critical with this type of cyberattack, and Systembolage got the message — the message in a bottle, of course.

Precautions helping organizations minimize the harm from ransomware attacks are common sense. However, the first thing to remember is the FBI warns never to pay a ransom demand because it only promotes further attacks.

That said, practices like regularly backing-up data on a separate server allow victims to restore it without paying a ransom. It also allows them to return to the business of doing business a lot faster and with minimum downtime.

Trying to imagine such an attack in the U.S. is beyond the imagination of most Americans. So, in sympathy with our Swedish friends, let’s give them a hearty skoal! the next time we raise a glass and hope it doesn’t happen here.