VF Corp. detected a data breach on Dec. 13 that has affected its ability to fulfill orders on time — a major challenge at any time, but one that’s particularly fraught so close to the Christmas holidays. The company, owner of such brands as Vans, The North Face, Dickies and Timberland, revealed the incident and detailed the steps it was taking to address it in a Dec. 15 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
While the SEC filing noted that its brick-and-mortar stores around the globe remain open and that consumers can purchase available merchandise, it also said “VF is experiencing certain operational disruptions,” and that “the incident has had and is reasonably likely to continue to have a material impact on the Company’s business operations until recovery efforts are completed.”
The filing revealed that “the threat actor disrupted the Company’s business operations by encrypting some IT systems, and stole data from the Company, including personal data. The Company is working to bring the impacted portions of its IT systems back online and implement workarounds for certain offline operations with the aim of reducing disruption to its ability to serve its retail and brand ecommerce consumers and wholesale customers.”
The home pages of VF’s brands’ websites are now carrying a notice reading “Apologies, logistical disruptions are impacting delivery dates.”
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