Yum! Brands confirms Pizza Hut and KFC ransomware attacks

Yum! Brands, the owner of fast food chains KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, has confirmed a ransomware attack that occurred on January 13, 2023. The company is sending data breach notification letters to affected individuals, revealing that personal information, including names, driver’s license numbers, and other ID card numbers, was stolen in the attack.

While the ongoing investigation found no evidence of stolen data being used for identity theft or fraud, Yum! Brands was forced to shut down roughly 300 restaurants in the UK.

Pizza Hut Ransomware Attack

Yum! Brands Confirms Data Breach Yum! Brands is sending data breach notification letters to an undisclosed number of individuals whose personal information was stolen in a January 13 ransomware attack on Pizza Hut. The company confirmed that some individuals’ personal information, including names, driver’s license numbers, and other ID card numbers, was stolen.

Although the stolen data has not been used for identity theft or fraud, Yum! Brands had to shut down around 300 restaurants in the United Kingdom as a direct result of the attack.

KFC Ransomware Attack

No Evidence of Customer Impact, But Employee Data Stolen Yum! Brands, the owner of fast food chains KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, confirmed a ransomware attack that occurred on January 13, 2023. While the ongoing investigation found no evidence of stolen data being used for identity theft or fraud, personal information of some employees was exposed during the cyberattack.

The company is sending individual notifications and offering complimentary monitoring and protection services, but the total number of affected employees is yet to be disclosed.

No Notable Negative Financial Impact, but Expenses Incurred Yum! Brands filed its 2022 annual report with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday, revealing that it had to shut down fewer than 300 restaurants in the UK for a day due to the ransomware attack.

The company assured investors that the incident caused temporary disruption and would not have any material adverse impact on its business, operations, or financial results. However, the company also disclosed that it had incurred and may continue to incur expenses related to the attack, including expenses to respond to, remediate, and investigate the matter.

No Evidence of Customer Impact

A Yum! Brands spokesperson mentioned that the company found no evidence that customers were affected by the ransomware attack. The company’s forensic review and investigation identified some personal information belonging to employees exposed during the incident.

The company is sending individual notifications to affected employees and offering complimentary monitoring and protection services. Yum! Brands has yet to disclose the total number of employees who had their data stolen during the ransomware attack.

The ransomware attack on Yum! Brands’ Pizza Hut and KFC fast food chains in January 2023 resulted in personal information, including names, driver’s license numbers, and other ID card numbers, being stolen from some employees.

Although there is no evidence of customer impact, the company had to shut down roughly 300 restaurants in the UK as a direct result of the attack. Yum! Brands has incurred and may continue to incur expenses related to responding to, remediating, and investigating the matter.