Parent company Vans, The North Face and Timberland reports data breach after cyber attack

VF Corporation, the parent company behind clothing and footwear brands such as Vans, The North Face and Timberland, is warning of a cyber attack that could impact holiday order fulfillment. Personal information may also have been stolen.

The parent company of Vans, The North Face, Timberland, Eastpack, Kipling and Supreme, among others, first noticed ‘unauthorized events’ in its IT systems on December 13, VF told Engadget. Hackers are said to have encrypted IT systems, but also stole company data and personal data.

It is not clear exactly how much and which data is involved. VF Corp. didn’t want to elaborate questions from TechCrunch whether a ransom was demanded by the hackers. It is also unknown whether any customers were affected by the breach. It is not yet known who is behind the attack.

Although the brands’ physical stores remain open and it remains possible to place orders, VF Corp. are faced with the necessary ‘operational disruptions’, which makes it difficult to fulfill orders just before Christmas. It is not known when the disruptions will be resolved.

The data breach notification comes on the day that new rules for disclosing data breaches come into effect. The US Securities and Exchange Commission now requires organizations to report cyber incidents, including data leaks, to the regulator within four working days.