Preventing Digital Disruption in the Cold Supply Chain | Lessons from the Peter Green Ransomware Attack
June 5, 2025
What Happened | A Cold Chain Brought To A Halt By Ransomware.
In May 2025, UK-based logistics company Peter Green Chilled, a supplier for major supermarket chains like Tesco, Aldi, and Sainsbury’s – suffered a crippling ransomware attack. This wasn’t just a mild inconvenience. It brought the company’s critical order-processing systems to a complete standstill.
Although trucks were physically able to move, orders could not be received, processed, or traced. One supplier, The Black Farmer, had ten pallets of chilled meat stranded in a depot with no way to get them dispatched. The product was perishable, time-sensitive, and at risk of spoiling, leading to financial loss, food waste, and broken trust in a fragile cold supply chain.
This attack exposed a growing truth in the logistics sector: digital systems are now as critical as physical ones. When cybercriminals strike, the effects ripple far beyond servers, and screens, they disrupt real world supply, damage reputations, and fracture critical business relationships.
Why Small and Mid-Sized Logistics Firms Are Vulnerable
Peter Green Chilled isn’t a tech giant, it is a reputable but mid-sized operation, and that’s exactly what made them the perfect target.
Small to medium logistics firms often:
- Lack dedicated cybersecurity staff.
- Use outdated systems vulnerable to attack.
- Don’t have sufficient employee training on cyber hygiene.
- Handle large volumes of sensitive, time-critical deliveries.
To attackers, this is an ideal combination: high reward, low resistance.
The Cost Of Not Investing In Cybersecurity Includes:
- Lost stock and disrupted operations.
- Penalties from suppliers or retailers.
- Reputational damage and media fallout.
- Long, expensive recovery timelines.
This isn’t just a tech issue, it’s a business continuity threat.
How 2TS Helps Prevent Attacks Like This
At 2TS, we specialise in protecting logistics, cold chain, and supply focused companies from the very types of attacks that brough Peter Green Chilled to a halt, here is how:
Security Awareness with OutThink: Turn Employees into a Human Firewall
Most ransomware attacks begin with a phishing email, a single click can bring your business to a standstill. 2TS integrates OutThink, the industry-leading human risk management platform, to:
- Continuously measure and reduce your organisation’s human risk score
- Deliver adaptive training based on individual behaviour and job role
- Detect when employees are under attack (e.g., targeted phishing)
- Build a resilient security culture from the inside out
This directly addresses the initial entry point most attackers use staff behaviour.
Network Segmentation & OT/ICS Protection with Nozomi Networks
Many logistics and cold chain facilities rely on operational technology (OT) systems like refrigeration control, fleet telemetry, and warehouse robotics. These systems are rarely secured properly.
2TS uses Nozomi Networks to bring visibility and cybersecurity to your OT infrastructure:
- Real-time anomaly detection in OT and industrial networks
- Passive monitoring of SCADA, IoT, and connected logistics devices
- Asset discovery across hybrid IT/OT environments
- Threat mapping and containment, before ransomware spreads
💡 This means attackers can’t move laterally from IT to OT systems, keeping operations intact.
Waterfall Security for Unbreachable One-Way Data Transfer
In high-risk environments like cold storage or live dispatch systems, 2TS deploys Waterfall Security’s unidirectional gateway technology to eliminate remote access risks entirely.
- One-way data flow ensures no external actor can remotely access critical systems
- Enables secure data replication to IT/cloud systems without exposing core operations
- Used in power stations, airports, and now in high-value logistics infrastructure
💡 This creates a physical barrier that even the most sophisticated ransomware cannot breach.
What Businesses Can Learn From Peter Green Chilled
This isn’t just a story about one company. It’s a wake-up call for every business that relies on digital infrastructure to move physical goods.
In logistics, timing is everything. A few hours of downtime can mean:
- Spoiled perishable stock
- Missed delivery windows
- Broken SLAs with major retailers
- Frustrated clients and strained relationships
Cybersecurity isn’t a luxury, it’s foundational. And yet, most small logistics firms are still underprepared.
Protect Your Cold Chain Before It’s Too Late
The Peter Green Chilled ransomware attack showed how fragile digital supply systems can be, and how quickly attackers can disrupt entire chains. Whether you’re running five trucks or five hundred, your business depends on resilient, protected systems.
At 2TS, we help logistics companies defend what matters most: operational uptime, customer trust, and long-term continuity.
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