Food distributors warn cyberattacks can disrupt supply chains
Food distributors warned at the International Foodservice Distributors Association’s 2026 Solutions Conference in San Antonio on Monday that cyberattacks can quickly become supply chain disruptions affecting warehouses, trucks, orders and freight movement. Panelists said companies should shift from trying to prevent every cyberattack to building resilience that contains intrusions before attackers can spread through warehouse, transportation and ordering systems. They illustrated the risk with an example where a third‑party carrier’s compromised email led to a fraudulent pickup of a load of blueberries that was stolen despite correct paperwork.
The panel recommended network segmentation, least‑privilege access and zero‑trust security so that users and devices are continually verified after gaining entry to a network. Such controls can create friction for warehouse and transportation employees, requiring clear communication and change management to explain why extra authentication steps are necessary. Connected equipment like security cameras, handheld devices and access‑control systems were cited as additional points of entry that attackers can exploit. Experts warned that vulnerabilities at suppliers, technology vendors or transportation partners can expose distributors even when the distributor’s own systems remain secure.
“There goes a load of blueberries. Gone,” Jeff Shaffer, chief information security officer at Ben E. Keith Co said.
“But if we can alert and contain those types of incidents, we’re going to be a much more resilient business without any operational impact,” Frank Smith, director of information security at The Palmer Family of Cos said.
The message emerged during “The CISO Perspective: Navigating Cyber Risk in Foodservice Distribution,” a panel at the International Foodservice Distributors Association’s 2026 Solutions Conference in San Antonio. The session on Monday focused on the growing connections between cybersecurity, transportation, ware
What we know
The session on Monday focused on the growing connections between cybersecurity, transportation, warehouse operations, third-party vendors and business continuity.
The message emerged during “The CISO Perspective: Navigating Cyber Risk in Foodservice Distribution,” a panel at the International Foodservice Distributors Association’s 2026 Solutions Conference in San Antonio.
Brett Perry, head of cybersecurity and network at Dot Foods Inc., moderated the discussion.
Panelists included Frank Smith, director of information security at The Palmer Family of Cos., James Cusack, chief information officer at Van Eerden Foodservice, and Jeff Shaffer chief information security officer at Ben E. Keith Co.