KFC may be forced to close some stores following cyberattack on key supplier

Nichirei Co confirms cyberattack disrupted cold warehouse and frozen food logistics, affecting customers including KFC Japan
KFC has warned of delivery delays leading to possible menu restrictions, shortened hours or temporary suspension of online orders
No data leaks or attacker claims have surfaced; disruptions suggest ransomware, but both companies expect operations to return to normal by the end of the week

Nichirei Co, a major Japanese company that produces frozen and processed foods and manages cold chain logistics to distribute them across the country, confirmed that it suffered a cyberattack that affected some of its customers, including KFC.

The company confirmed the news in a notice stating: “Today, Nichirei Co experienced a system outage caused by unauthorized access. »

Nichirei said it was currently investigating the incident, but there was no evidence of personal or customer data being leaked outside the company. However, due to the nature of the incident (which was not explained in detail), several operations were affected, including cold warehouse entry/exit operations and frozen product shipping services.

No complaints yet

These disruptions affected, among others, KFC, one of the largest fast food chains in the world. In a separate statement, KFC said a system failure at Nichirei Logistics Group on July 13 affected the company’s logistics and delivery sites. “Starting Tuesday, July 14, 2026, food delivery to KFC stores is expected to be affected,” the statement said.

“As a result, each store may suspend operations based on out-of-stock of certain products, menu restrictions, shortened operating hours, or ingredient stock availability. Additionally, online ordering from the official app and website has also been temporarily suspended.”

The nature of the attack, nor the identity of the attackers, have not been revealed. Since Nichirei had to shut down some of its services, this could mean that it was a ransomware attack and that some of the company’s data was ultimately stolen. The Register reports that KFC Japan has not released information about store closures and continues to promote summer menu items.

As of press time, no malicious actors have claimed responsibility for the attacks and no Nichirei/KFC data has surfaced on the dark web. Businesses plan to resume normal operations by the end of the week.

Via The register