Crystal D (PPAI 112326, Gold) – the No. 88 supplier in the PPAI 100 – has reported that its systems are back up and running after a cyberattack forced the St. Paul, Minnesota-based company to temporarily shut down parts of its network to address and resolve the issue.
- The company’s phone lines and email accounts were inaccessible since approximately 7 a.m. CT. on Friday, March 7.
Partially operational as of Wednesday, Crystal D says it’s actively reaching out to customers with in-house orders that have scheduled shipping dates.
- For all other requests, the firm says it will address them within 48 hours.
Crystal D says it will continue to investigate what happened to ensure the security of its network. “At this time, we have no evidence to suggest that any customer information has been compromised,” the company said in a statement.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact CrystaldFan@gmail.com.
Increased Scrutiny
As the threat from cyberattacks evolves, the importance of customer data security is vital for all B2B businesses, including those in promotional products. Large end-buyer prospects in particular are sensitive to the need for data security, distributors say.
RELATED: Cybersecurity: Big Business’s No. 1 Vendor Priority
As with other digital transformation initiatives, it’s recommended that security receive close executive supervision. On average, promo’s largest companies are more focused on cybersecurity.
- At distributors with revenue north of $250 million, PPAI research from 2023 showed that 56% of companies had senior executives review security vulnerability reports at least weekly (The State Of Innovation 2023: Distributor Benchmarking).
- Among $250 million and larger suppliers, 40% have senior executives reviewing security vulnerability at least weekly (The State Of Innovation 2023: Supplier Benchmarking).
