Nougat-carlier.be listed by Lockbit3 on leak site

• Ransomware group: Lockbit3
• Country: Belgium
• Sector: Agriculture and Food Production
• Announcement date: February 22, 2023

LockBit3 claims data breach at nougat-carlier.be

The LockBit3 ransomware group has officially listed the Belgian organization nougat-carlier.be on its dedicated leak site. According to the announcement published on February 22, 2023, the threat actor group alleges that data belonging to the organization has been compromised. This claim marks a potential security incident for the Belgian-based entity, as the group asserts that sensitive information has been exfiltrated from their systems.

Ransomware groups often utilize leak sites as a tool for double extortion. In such scenarios, attackers do not merely encrypt an organization's data to disrupt operations; they also threaten to release the stolen information publicly to pressure the victim into paying a ransom. The presence of a company on a leak site is a common tactic used by these groups to increase psychological pressure on the target organization and its stakeholders.

Details regarding the alleged leak

Despite the public listing on the LockBit3 leak site, the group has provided very little specific information regarding the nature of the incident. At this time, there is no screenshot or detailed information available regarding the nature or content of the data allegedly leaked. The listing does not specify the volume of data taken or the specific types of files involved in the breach.

The listing names no data types.

About nougat-carlier.be

Carlier is a Belgian family business that has been operating since 1949. The company specializes in the production of nougat, offering a wide variety of flavors produced using high-quality ingredients.

Impact and potential risks

The claims made by LockBit3 pose potential risks to the operational continuity of the organization. If the allegations are accurate, the leakage of data could raise significant concerns regarding the confidentiality of the organization's customer and supplier data. Furthermore, because the organization is based in Belgium, any potential data breaches may trigger legal processes under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which governs data privacy and protection within the European Union.

The LockBit3 group is a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) operation that has been tracked since 2019. Despite international operations conducted against its infrastructure in February 2024, the group has been reported to have resumed its activities. The leakage of an organization's data can create grounds for secondary risks, such as identity theft or targeted phishing attacks, where attackers use the stolen information to deceive employees, customers, or partners.

For organizations operating in the food production sector, maintaining data integrity and confidentiality is vital for protecting supply chain relationships. To mitigate such risks, organizations often implement defensive measures such as multi-factor authentication, regular offline backups, and continuous monitoring of network traffic to detect unauthorized data exfiltration. Strengthening incident response plans and ensuring compliance with regional data protection laws are also critical steps in managing the fallout of a potential cyberattack.