Candy Corn Factory Gets Hacked At The Worst Possible Time

Candy corn lovers beware! Something almost too horrific to imagine has befallen us. The largest producer of the Halloween treat was compromised just weeks before its big day. And the call was coming from inside the factory!

Chicago-based Ferrara Candy, the makers of Brach's candy corn that has an 85% share of the country's candy corn market, fell prey to a ransomware attack earlier this month that caused a disruption in production, reports Crain's Chicago Business. Systems were hacked and encrypted, immediately prompting an investigation into the scope and cause of the infiltration. The company is still slowly working to restore everything back to 100%. This might sound like great news to those among us who believe that candy corn is "Satan's earwax," but candy corn-loving millennials are probably shaking in their boots.

The factory is currently operating at a limited capacity but is still working to fulfill all orders in its queue and ship to distribution centers across the country. (We can assume a hearty amount are headed straight to a butcher shop in Wisconsin). But with just two weeks until Halloween, Ferrara better get its gears going as quickly as possible to feed the country's insatiable need for one of the most popular candies of the season.

Still, Ferrara shouldn't be hurting too bad—representatives from the company told Crain's in 2020 that Halloween accounts for less than 10% of their sales. If we had to guess, during the other 11 months out of the year, candy corn must be in high demand for peanut treats and churning into ice cream.

And of course, the factory isn't all about candy corn. Ferrara manufactures more than 25 other brands of sweets and baked treats, including Trolli, Famous Amos, and Little Brownie Bakers, the official creators of Girl Scout cookies. Ferrara better get some new, better virus protection before Thin Mint season or there will be hell to pay.