West Loop’s Fairlife pauses U.S. production after cyberattack

Chicago-based dairy company Fairlife paused U.S. production after its systems were breached in a ransomware attack.

Fairlife, maker of ultra-filtered milk and Core Power protein shakes, is a subsidiary of the Coca-Cola Co.

The company said Thursday that the breach included parts of Fairlife’s production systems, but product quality and safety were not affected. However, “the full scope, nature and impacts of the incident are not yet known,” according to its news release. Fairlife’s production in Canada is unaffected.

The company is investigating and assessing the incident with the help of cybersecurity experts and has notified law enforcement. It’s working to restore systems and operations.

There was no update as of Friday afternoon, a Coca-Cola spokesperson said.

Fairlife was founded in 2012 and bought by Coca-Cola in 2020. It’s headquartered in the West Loop and has facilities in Michigan, Arizona, New York and New Mexico.

Fairlife’s annual retail sales exceed $3 billion, according to its website.

Companies and Chicago-area institutions have faced a number of cyberattacks.

In June, Evanston Township High School was hit with a ransomware attack that forced it to temporarily cancel summer classes, sports camps and other on-campus activities.

In May, a cyberattack on the online learning platform Canvas caused disruptions at many Illinois colleges and schools. Canvas’ temporary shutdown forced the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to postpone some exams and assignments.

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