October 13, 2023 at 02:15PM
Summary: Kwik Trip, a US chain of convenience stores and gas stations, has experienced a series of disruptive IT outages since the weekend, potentially due to a ransomware attack. Employees have been unable to receive orders, accept payments, or access support systems, while customers have been frustrated by the inability to use rewards. Kwik Trip has acknowledged a “network incident” but has not confirmed whether it is a security issue. Ransomware attacks continue to pose a significant threat, with hackers using stolen data as leverage for ransom payments.
Takeaway: Kwik Trip, a US chain of convenience stores and gas stations, has experienced a significant disruption to their IT systems since the weekend, which appears to be indicative of a ransomware attack. The company has not provided a clear reason for the outages to its employees and customers, causing frustration. While Kwik Trip has confirmed a “network incident,” they have not refuted claims of a security incident. The timeline and nature of the IT outages align with a ransomware attack. It is common for cybercriminals to target networks over the weekend when there are fewer IT employees monitoring for malicious activity. These attackers often steal data and demand a ransom in exchange for not publishing or encrypting the stolen data. Ransomware attacks have been highly lucrative for these threat actors, with millions of dollars paid in ransom so far in 2023. A recent example is Caesars Entertainment, who paid a ransomware gang $15 million to prevent the release of stolen data.