Whole Foods Cyberattack Highlights Growing Threat to Supply Chain Security
A recent cyberattack on United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), Whole Foods’ primary distributor, has left grocery store shelves empty across the country and underscores the sophisticated criminal operations targeting our industry.
According to reporting from KXAN Austin, UNFI discovered unauthorized activity on its IT systems on June 5, forcing the company to take systems offline and disrupting its ability to fulfill orders to grocery stores nationwide.
The Bigger Picture
As TIA President and CEO Chris Burroughs explained to KXAN, this incident is part of a much larger problem facing the logistics industry. “Exploit security gaps and their billing portals, their routing systems, their communication networks. It’s a very coordinated, highly sophisticated criminal, organized criminal element that’s doing this,” Burroughs said.
Our 2025 Fraud Report reveals the scope of this threat: 83% of logistics companies were hit by multiple fraud types in the last six months. The criminals often start with fraudulent email scams, then change carrier information to pose as legitimate companies and steal loads.
Why Food & Beverage is Target #1
Burroughs noted that food and beverage has become the number one target because there’s no traceability like there is with electronics. “From there, it’s gone, typically taken across the border or put back into the supply chain,” making it easier for criminals to reintroduce stolen goods into the market.
The Whole Foods shortage demonstrates how these attacks can cascade through the supply chain, affecting millions of consumers when critical infrastructure is compromised.
TIA’s Role
As the voice for the third-party logistics industry on Capitol Hill, TIA continues our advocacy, education, and policy work around fraud prevention. This latest incident reinforces why our fraud education and advocacy efforts are more critical than ever.
While UNFI reports making progress in restoring systems, the Whole Foods cyberattack serves as a stark reminder that cybersecurity isn’t just about protecting data—it’s about protecting the entire supply chain that Americans depend on every day.
Read the full KXAN article here.
