For decades, the concept of safety in the food industry was defined by hygiene standards, temperature controls, and strict allergen management.
While those remain the bedrock of our operations at Finsbury Food Group, a new priority has emerged in the modern era. As our bakeries become more technologically advanced, the importance of digital resilience has moved to the top of our agenda.
Cyber Attacks: Food Industry
The food and beverage industry is currently facing an unprecedented rise in digital threats. According to a recent food and agriculture sector report, the landscape has shifted dramatically. Last year saw an escalation in ransomware activity, with 6,377 incidents tracked across all sectors. This represents an 82% increase over the 3,508 cases recorded in 2024.
Within the food and agriculture sector specifically, 265 attacks were recorded, accounting for 4.2% of total incidents. Because our industry relies on deeply interconnected supply chains, a single disruption to one supplier can ripple across the entire sector, causing significant financial, reputational, and operational losses. While the sector remains resilient, Finsbury Food Group chooses to be proactive rather than reactive. We treat digital safety with the same level of discipline as food safety.
Protecting Our Chain Against Cyber Incidents
Maintaining a robust IT infrastructure is about more than just protecting computers; it is a fundamental part of how we safeguard our business and the supply lines of our customers.
At Finsbury, our investment in high-level security systems serves as a guarantee of operational continuity. When our systems are secure, we ensure that our ovens stay on, our logistics remain accurate, and our products reach the shelves on time. Investing in these advanced systems prevents the kind of technical disruptions that often leave retail shelves empty. By prioritising cybersecurity, we are effectively protecting the entire journey of our products from the bakery to the consumer.
We understand that our partners rely on us for consistent delivery, and a modern manufacturing business must be able to withstand digital threats to maintain that reliability. High-level security is the invisible shield that keeps our production lines moving and our partners’ businesses stable.
A Culture of Vigilance and Reliability
At Finsbury Food Group, our culture extends far beyond taste testing and bake-offs. We want every staff member and every link in our supply chain to feel confident that they are safe in our shared cyber space. Trust is built on the ability to deliver every single day without fail, and we believe that a strong focus on cybersecurity is fundamental to ensuring our partners can rely on us consistently.
To achieve this, we have fully integrated digital safety into our company culture, making it a core part of our commitment to excellence. This dedication to security is one of the many ways we demonstrate our passion for being a world-class manufacturer.
We want our partners and prospective clients to feel confident that their data and supply chains are in safe hands. You can learn more about our specific approach to managing these modern challenges by visiting our Cyber Security and Keeping Your Data Safe factsheet.
Take the Next Step
Our reliability is established first through our baking, and secondly, through the resilience of our entire operation. By combining baking heritage with technical vigilance, we provide the stability needed for long-term, dependable excellence.
We are dedicated to ensuring that the future of food manufacturing is as safe as it is innovative. Explore our detailed factsheet, Cyber Security and Keeping Your Data Safe, to learn more about our commitment to secure, reliable supply chain management, or take a look at how we are a responsible bakery.
Cyber attacks disrupt food supply chains in several ways:
- Criminals hijack logistics platforms to send fake shipping jobs, allowing them to physically steal cargo.
- Attacks on operational technology (OT) systems can stop production and affect food safety by changing control settings, leading to spoilage or contamination.
- Because supply chains are connected, one breach can cause widespread shutdowns, empty store shelves, and major financial losses.
The food industry’s complex supply chains and interconnected operational systems mean that a cyber incident at one supplier can disrupt the entire network. Cyber threats like ransomware attacks often halt production and manufacturing operations, leading to empty shelves and delayed deliveries.
By implementing network segmentation, multi-factor authentication, and secure remote access, Finsbury reduces the attack surface and protects our retail partners from operational disruptions and reputational damage.
The industry's reliance on just-in-time production means disruptions can spoil products, disrupt operations, and cause financial loss. Ransomware, a type of malicious software that locks systems until a ransom is paid, remains a major threat, exploiting this urgency to demand ransoms. Finsbury prioritises strong incident response plans and employee training to reduce risks and maintain operational continuity without paying ransoms.
Yes. Many cyber incidents start with simple human error, like falling for phishing emails. That's why we focus heavily on ongoing employee training and clear protocols to build strong cyber awareness. We want our team to spot and report threats quickly, acting as the first line of defence. This human vigilance works hand-in-hand with our technical protections, such as specialised industrial firewalls and intrusion detection systems designed specifically for our operational technology environments.
We employ high-level encryption, secure IT networks, and adhere to regulatory compliance standards to protect sensitive data, including customer trust and employee information. Our cybersecurity framework includes regular audits to identify vulnerabilities in legacy systems, secure network segmentation, and offline backups to recover quickly from cyber incidents without paying ransoms. Detailed information on these measures is available in our official Cyber Security Factsheet.
Finsbury has put in place robust incident response and disaster recovery plans tailored for both IT and OT environments. These plans include manual overrides and backup systems to keep operations running smoothly and prevent production shutdowns. By integrating specialised protocols for our operational and safety systems, we reduce the risk of ransomware group attacks disrupting our manufacturing processes. Our strong commitment to cyber resilience means our food production stays on track, protecting supply chains from interruptions and keeping shelves stocked for consumers.
