WestRock Company was attacked by ransomware in January 2021 which disrupted many of its systems. The company immediately initiated efforts to contain the attack and restore the systems. But the attack impacted the Company’s business and adversely resulted in WestRock’s financial results.

WestRock, a leading provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, fell victim to a ransomware attack on January 23, 2021, severely disrupting its IT and operational technology systems. The incident caused a $189 million decline in net sales and an $80 million reduction in segment income during Q2 2021 due to lost sales and operational disruptions. Additionally, the company incurred $20 million in recovery costs, primarily for professional fees tied to incident response, forensic investigations, and system restoration. While WestRock anticipated recovering losses through cyber and business interruption insurance, the attack forced prolonged downtime, supply chain delays, and reputational damage. The financial strain extended beyond immediate ransom payments (if any), highlighting how ransomware can cripple core business functions, erode customer trust, and trigger long-term operational setbacks. The attack underscored the cascading financial and operational risks of ransomware, particularly for manufacturing and logistics-dependent enterprises.

Combi Security, an Israeli-Russian front company, was central to operations organised by the cybercriminal group known as Fin7. Using the Carbanak malware, Fin7 successfully orchestrated a series of sophisticated attacks targeting over thirty countries' banking institutions, accumulating thefts surpassing €1 billion over a span of three years. The malware facilitated unauthorized remote access to financial systems, enabling manipulation of ATM machines for cash withdrawal ('jackpotting') and compromising point-of-sale data. These orchestrated thefts culminated in massive financial losses for the affected institutions and compromised the details of 15 million payment cards, particularly impacting over 120 U.S. companies, including notable names like Chipotle and Arby’s. Despite the arrests of several key figures, including the supposed ringleader in Spain and three Ukrainian nationals by the U.S. Department of Justice, the full extent of the damage and the potential continuation of their criminal activities under different techniques remain concerns for global financial security.