Westrock hit with cyber attack

FILE – This Feb 23, 2019, file photo shows the inside of a computer in Jersey City, N.J. Ransomware attacks targeting state and local governments have been on the rise, with cyber criminals seeking quick money by seizing data and holding it hostage until they get paid. The fear is that such attacks could affect voting systems directly or even indirectly, by infecting broader government networks that include electoral databases. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

by: S. Brady Calhoun

Posted: Jan 25, 2021 / 02:19 PM CST

Updated: Jan 25, 2021 / 02:26 PM CST

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WMBB) — WestRock Company, which owns a factory in Panama City, announced Friday that it had detected a ransomware incident impacting its operational and information technology systems.

“Promptly upon its detection of the incident, the Company initiated response and containment protocols,” officials wrote in a news release. “The Company’s security teams, supplemented by leading cyber defense firms, are working to remediate this incident. The Company has notified law enforcement and reached out to its customers to apprise them of the situation.”

The company added that the attack, “has caused and may continue to cause delays in parts of the Company’s business and may result in a deferral or loss of revenue and incremental costs that may adversely impact WestRock’s financial results.”