Islanders facing empty shelves say ‘get the people fed’

Islay isn’t the obvious location for the frontline of cyber crime but the picturesque island famous for its wildlife and whisky distilleries is dealing with the real world impacts of the major supermarket hack.

The targeting of retailers including Marks and Spencer and Co-op has led to sporadic empty shelves across UK stores as the companies slowed deliveries and shut down parts of their IT systems in response to cyber attacks.

In most places, disappointed customers at least have the option of visiting other supermarkets to pick up supplies. But communities across Scotland’s Western Isles generally don’t have that luxury.

In this part of the country, Co-op is often the only large store, with some smaller independent retailers operating.

“The Co-op is so important here,” said Brian Palmer, editor of local newspaper, The Ileach.

“We don’t think because we live here that we should have every convenience you get on the mainland but I think a lack of food is probably stretching it a wee bit.”

No one is starving as a result of shortages but there is clear frustration with the lack of fresh food available.

Staff at the Bowmore Co-op said the last full delivery was at the start of May. There have since been smaller deliveries, but not of what is required.

The first aisle of the shop usually stocked with chilled meat, fruit and vegetables was almost completely bare on Friday afternoon. As was the bread section shortly after a morning delivery.

“It’s easy to shop when there’s nothing to pick from,” one customer joked as they left the store.

A Co-op worker said they had dealt with red weather warnings and covid but “no one understands a cyber attack.”

The company told the BBC last week that the attack on its systems meant store deliveries had been hit and the hack had resulted in “significant” amounts of customer data being stolen.

Co-op said “remote lifeline stores” will receive extra deliveries soon.

A “spokesperson said: “We take our responsibility to our Scottish island stores and communities very seriously.

“As a result of the Cyber-attack, and the steps we took to keep our systems safe, we currently have a temporary contingency stock ordering and delivery process, where we have prioritised the quantity of stock and deliveries to these lifeline stores.

“From Monday, 12 of the most remote lifeline stores will receive treble the volume of available product, and another 20 lifeline stores will get double the volume.

“We would like to thank all members, customers and our amazing store colleagues for their support and goodwill through this time.

Construction business manager Donald Gillies said he’s been unable to provide a good lunch for his site workers in port Ellen throughout the last week.

Asked if enough was being done to deliver food he said: “That’s tosh (rubbish).”

“It’s poor, it’s really poor. Something has gone wrong in the IT system and like everything else in society it’s all computer-driven and no one can make a bloomin’ decision to send food over.

“Get the people fed.”

Jude McCorry, chief executive of the Cyber and Fraud Centre based in Edinburgh, said it can take along time for companies to fully recover from cyber attacks.

“Even companies we don’t think of as tech firms rely heavily on complex systems that take time to recover,” she said,

“We know from past experience that some cyber attacks are debilitating for months.

“I’m not saying there’ll be this level of disruption for weeks and months, but it can take a long time for organisations to get back to the way they were before an attack.”

On Islay, people are full of praise for the local Co-op workers, they know it’s not a local issue.

Sheena MacKellar from Islay Gaelic Centre took aim at the group behind the hack.

“These people are selfish. They are affecting the wrong people.

“We’re hard working honest people and we’re the ones who are suffering and having to work round it.

“But we’re islanders, we’re made of stronger stuff.”