The Clorox Company is undergoing production shortages one month after it took some systems offline following a cyberattack, the company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission Monday.
Clorox said the attack, disclosed in an Aug. 14 filing, damaged part of its IT infrastructure and led to widespread disruption of operations.
"Due to the order processing delays and elevated level of product outages," the company expects the disruption will have a material impact on its fiscal first-quarter financial performance, but Clorox said it is still premature to determine the long-term impact of the cyberattack, including the impact on the full fiscal year. The company’s 2023 fiscal year ended June 30.
Clorox officials expect to revert back to automated order processing starting next week, and plan to ramp up the rate of production over time.
The Oakland, Calif.-based company makes a variety of household cleaning products, foods and other goods, including Clorox bleach, Pine-Sol and Fresh Step cat litter.
The company said in the original filing that it notified law enforcement and retained third-party experts to investigate the incident and help with recovery. At the time, Clorox said it would implement workaround strategies to try and maintain production, but warned it expected potential disruption.
Immediately after discovering the unauthorized activity in its network, the company switched over to manual ordering processing, which slowed down its production capabilities, Clorox said. The company is currently repairing those systems and has resumed manufacturing at most of its facilities.
