Victoria-based Hazeldenes, one of Australia's largest poultry producers (roughly 900,000 birds a week at its Lockwood South facility), detected a cyberattack on 19 February 2026 and shut down its IT systems, halting processing and packaging. The result was immediate chicken shortages for wholesalers, butchers and supermarkets across Victoria, with some deliveries failing without notice. Hazeldenes engaged external experts, notified Australian authorities and began a phased return to production from around 25 February; it had not yet confirmed whether customer or employee data was compromised. We discuss the operational and food-supply-chain impact of attacks on manufacturers and why rapid IT shutdowns are sometimes necessary.

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Sources: Cyber Daily; The Cyber Express.