Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.

Expeditors International of Washington, Inc., operating as Expeditors, is a global logistics and freight forwarding company headquartered in the United States. The organization provides comprehensive supply chain solutions, managing freight shipments, customs clearance, and distribution services for international trade. Its operations span multiple countries, supporting a worldwide client base through a network that facilitates the movement of goods across borders. The critical nature of these services was starkly revealed in February 2022 when a significant cyber incident disrupted its core functions on a global scale, highlighting the company's integral role in international logistics and supply chain continuity.

On February 20, 2022, Expeditors experienced a targeted cyber-attack, likely ransomware, which compromised its primary operating systems. In a defensive measure to protect its infrastructure, the company initiated a global shutdown of most systems, severely limiting its capabilities in freight management and customs processing. This immediate action, while intended to contain the breach, caused widespread disruption, risking shipment stagnation and operational delays throughout its network. The organization engaged external cybersecurity experts to investigate the attack and oversee the secure restoration of systems from backups, concurrently implementing alternative solutions to lessen the impact on customers. Expeditors acknowledged that the incident would lead to prolonged investigation expenses and potential material adverse effects on its business operations, revenue, and reputation, with no specific timeline provided for a full recovery. The company committed to issuing further updates as the remediation efforts progressed, underscoring the ongoing challenges in addressing the security breach and restoring normal business activities.