Major Data Breach at Sysco Corporation Affects Over 126,000 Individuals

• Sysco Corporation, a leading global food distributor, suffered a significant cybersecurity breach, potentially compromising the personal data of over 126,000 individuals, including names and social security numbers.
• In response to the breach, Sysco has launched an investigation with a cybersecurity firm, notified federal law enforcement, and is offering affected individuals two years of complimentary identity theft protection and credit monitoring services through Experian.

Sysco Corporation, the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products, has suffered a significant cybersecurity breach, potentially compromising the personal information of 126,243 people. The attack, believed to have begun on January 14, 2023, was confirmed by the company on March 5, 2023.

The breach was reported to Maine’s Attorney General in compliance with data breach notification laws by Gerard M. Stegmaier, a partner at Reed Smith LLP, acting as outside counsel for Sysco.

According to the notification letter from Sysco, an external threat actor gained unauthorized access to the company’s systems and claimed to have obtained certain data. While the specific details of the compromised information are not yet fully known, it is believed to include personal identifiers such as names and social security numbers.

“I apologize that this happened and regret any concern this may cause,” said a Sysco representative in a statement. “We value the trust you place in us to protect your privacy and take our responsibility to safeguard your personal information seriously.”

Sysco, based in Houston, Texas, has assured affected individuals that the company’s operational systems and related business functions were not impacted by the event and that there is no ongoing threat to the network or systems.

Immediately following the discovery of the breach, Sysco launched an investigation in partnership with a leading cybersecurity firm and promptly notified federal law enforcement agencies.

In an effort to alleviate potential harm to affected parties, Sysco has provided two years’ worth of complimentary identity theft protection and credit monitoring services through Experian, a consumer credit reporting company. Affected individuals are encouraged to enroll in this program using the provided activation code.

Sysco’s data breach underscores the persistent and escalating risk posed by cyber threats to companies of all sizes and sectors. As such, Sysco has pledged to implement additional controls and safeguards to prevent a similar event from occurring in the future.

“We’ve taken rigorous steps to address this incident and are committed to protecting our colleagues’ information,” the company stated. “As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance our security measures, we will continue to work diligently to protect the privacy and personal information of our valued employees and stakeholders.”

Sysco Corporation is a multinational corporation involved in marketing and distributing food products, smallwares, kitchen equipment and tabletop items to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, hospitality businesses like hotels and inns, and wholesale to other companies that provide foodservice. The company is headquartered in the Energy Corridor district of Houston, Texas. Sysco is among the largest companies in the global food wholesale business, and it services over 650,000 customer locations. The company’s product lines include a full spectrum of food products and various non-food products required in foodservice operations. Please note that this information is accurate up until my training cut-off in September 2021, and for the most current details, please refer to Sysco’s official resources.