Osa Commerce
The retail industry is grappling with a new menace: cyberattacks that leave shelves empty and disrupt the entire supply chain.
In June 2025, a cyberattack targeting United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), the primary distributor for Whole Foods, sent shockwaves through the U.S. grocery industry. This wasn’t just a tech breach—it was a supply chain shutdown. With frozen transportation networks, paralyzed fulfillment systems, and unprocessed orders, the impact stretched far beyond servers and data centers.
It disrupted entire ecosystems of suppliers, retailers, logistics providers, and ultimately, consumers.
This event exposed an urgent truth: Cybersecurity is a supply chain issue—3PLs, retailers, and their partners must act accordingly.
How Cyberattacks Disrupt Modern Supply Chains
Cyberattacks in today’s logistics environment do more than compromise data—they halt movement and can have devastating effects. In the case of UNFI, ransomware disabled back-office systems critical to route planning, inventory tracking, and communications. Trucks could not move, shelves were left empty, and digital systems that manage inventory and logistics were rendered useless. In one swift move, warehouse operations were thrown into chaos.
This incident sheds light on the vulnerabilities inherent in modern supply chains. With so many supply chains relying on interconnected systems and third-party partnerships, a breach in one node can cascade across the entire network. These ripple effects damage:
Visibility: Systems go offline, leaving partners blind to inventory levels, ETAs, and demand signals
Operations: Fulfillment stalls, warehouses can’t receive or ship, and transportation slows to a crawl
Trust: Retailers and brands lose confidence in their providers, while consumers face out-of-stocks and price spikes
The ramifications go beyond IT issues. They highlight the need for robust cybersecurity measures across all facets of the supply chain.
The Cost to Supply Chain Partners & Consumers
The ripple effects of a cyberattack extend far and wide, impacting every stakeholder in the supply chain. For supply chain partners, the immediate fallout includes operational delays, financial losses, and damage to reputation. But the long-term cost is harder to measure — the erosion of trust and reputation in an already competitive market.
Consumers, too, bear the brunt of such disruptions. The immediate and visible impacts include empty shelves, delayed online orders, and rising prices due to supply gaps. The importance of cybersecurity isn't just about stopping significant disruptions,but also maintaining consumer trust and business continuity.
In today’s customer-centric world, supply chain performance is brand experience, and disruptions caused by cybersecurity failures undermine both.
Why Visibility is the First Line of Defense
Cybersecurity isn’t just about preventing breaches. It’s about resilience—and that starts with visibility. End-to-end visibility ensures that every link in the chain is monitored, making it easier to detect and respond to threats in real time. Integrated systems facilitate seamless communication and coordination among supply chain partners, enhancing overall resilience.
Platforms like the Osa Collaborative Visibility Platform enable 3PLs, retailers, and manufacturers to see, share, and secure their supply chain in real time. Comprehensive visibility and unified supply chain operations help businesses proactively address vulnerabilities and strengthen their defenses against cyber threats.
With Osa, partners have endless possibilities:
Track inventory, orders, and movements across all parties — from suppliers to store shelves
Automate Warehouse alerts and detect anomalies that may signal a breach or process disruption
Unify systems into one secure platform to eliminate the data silos that create vulnerabilities
Secure integrations using role-based access and encrypted data sharing
When you can see your entire supply chain in real time, you can act faster, isolate threats sooner, and recover more effectively.
Recent Cyberattacks that Twisted the Retail Industry
The UNFI cyberattack is not an isolated incident. In recent years, the retail industry has witnessed several high-profile cyberattacks that exposed vulnerabilities in supply chains. For example, the 2020 ransomware attack on the European logistics company Hellmann Worldwide Logistics disrupted operations and led to significant data breaches.
Another notable case is the 2021 attack on JBS, the world's largest meat supplier, which forced the company to halt production at several plants. These incidents underscore the critical need for robust cybersecurity measures and illustrate how cyberattacks can disrupt not just individual businesses but entire industries.
Best Practices for Cyber Resilience in Supply Chains
Osa Commerce has long advocated for embedding cybersecurity best practices within every layer of supply chain architecture. Building cyber resilience requires a multi-faceted approach. First, businesses should invest in advanced cybersecurity technologies that provide real-time threat detection and response capabilities. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments are essential to identify and address potential weaknesses.
Employee training is another crucial component. Ensuring that all staff are aware of cybersecurity best practices can help prevent common threats like phishing attacks. Additionally, businesses should develop and regularly update incident response plans to ensure they can quickly and effectively respond to cyber incidents.
Adopt Zero-Trust Security: Always verify users, systems, and devices before granting access
Secure API Integrations: Replace outdated EDI or FTP connections with modern, encrypted interfaces
Enable Collaborative Intelligence: Share security alerts and threat insights across your partner network
Audit & Test Continuously: Run penetration tests, monitor for system anomalies, and stress-test recovery protocols
Use a Unified Platform: Reduce fragmentation by consolidating supply chain workflows and data into a single, secure environment like Osa
The Future Is Secure, Connected, and Collaborative
The cyberattack on UNFI wasn’t just a glitch — it was a glimpse into the vulnerabilities of an outdated, disconnected supply chain infrastructure. As we move into a more digital, data-driven era of commerce, security must evolve alongside visibility and speed—rather than waiting for a breach to occur.
Prioritizing cybersecurity is not just an IT concern but a critical business imperative. Companies can build resilience against cyber threats by investing in visibility and integration solutions, conducting regular security assessments, and fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness.
Platforms like Osa Commerce don’t just help you operate more efficiently — they help you operate more securely. In a world where disruption is always one click away, that’s not just an advantage. It’s a necessity.
Are you ready to secure your supply chain with real-time visibility and resilience? Let’s start the conversation.
