Cyber Incident Victim: ScanSource
Date:
May 2023
Location:
United States of America
Summary
ScanSource experienced a ransomware attack disrupting systems and business operations, prompting activation of its incident response plan with assistance from forensic experts and law enforcement. The incident caused multi-day outages affecting customer portals and service delivery, particularly in North America and Brazil, leading to operational delays and a temporary stock price decline. While restoration efforts are ongoing, the responsible threat actor and potential data compromise remain unidentified.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On May 14, 2023, technology distributor ScanSource, Inc. detected a ransomware attack impacting some of its systems, triggering immediate activation of its incident response plan. The company, a Fortune 1000 firm traded on NASDAQ, launched an investigation with assistance from forensic and cybersecurity professionals while notifying law enforcement authorities. By May 15, customers began reporting outages affecting customer portals and websites across North America and Brazil, disrupting access to cloud services, SaaS connectivity, and specialized solutions including point-of-sale systems, payments, security products, and automatic identification/data capture tools. ScanSource publicly confirmed the ransomware incident on May 16, attributing multi-day operational disruptions to the attack and warning of continued service delays. The company’s subsidiaries—including cloud service provider Intelisys and managed services distributor intY—were implicated in the outage through their parent company’s infrastructure compromise.
ScanSource prioritized restoring affected systems and mitigating business impacts, particularly for customers and suppliers in its North American and Brazilian markets. The incident caused measurable financial consequences, with the company’s stock price declining 1.42% following the disclosure. Internal teams and external experts worked to minimize operational disruptions while investigating the attack’s scope, though the company did not disclose specific technical details about compromised systems or data exfiltration. No ransomware group claimed responsibility publicly, and ScanSource’s press release emphasized forward-looking uncertainties regarding restoration timelines, noting that successful recovery depended on overcoming technical remediation challenges. Corporate communications expressed regret for service delays while maintaining focus on restoring full operational capacity across hardware distribution, cloud connectivity, and specialized technology solution channels.