Canadian Federated Co-operatives Limited hit by cyberattack

Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) has shut down services and is in the process of restoring at local retail and cardlock fuel locations across Western Canada after a cyberattack caused significant disruptions.

Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) is a large wholesaling, manufacturing, marketing, and administrative co-operative based in Western Canada. Established in 1944 through the amalgamation of various provincial wholesale co-operatives, FCL supports a network of over 160 independent local co-operative associations.

The incident forced the company to shut down several customer-facing systems as a precautionary measure. FCL has engaged third-party experts to conduct a thorough investigation.

The impact of the cyberattack became evident when local Co-ops across Saskatchewan began reporting an "unplanned IT outage" earlier in the week. Although FCL has managed to reopen some cardlock services, many local Co-op websites, as well as FCL's main website, remain non-functional.

The company has yet to announce a definitive timeline for the full restoration of all services. The nature of the attack has not been detailed by FCL and specific data exposed and the number of affected individuals have not been disclosed.

Update - as of 10th of July 2024, Federated Co-op Limited (FCL) states it's aware that hackers are threatening to release sensitive data stolen from the company.