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Hazeldenes, a major Australian poultry processor, has halted production after a cyberattack, triggering chicken shortages across Victoria and underscoring how digital threats can disrupt the nation’s food supply chain. The incident remains under investigation.
Cyber News Centre's cyber update for 26th February 2026: Hazeldenes, one of Australia's largest poultry producers, has confirmed its operations were disrupted by a significant cyberattack.
Hazeldenes is a major, vertically integrated poultry processor based in Lockwood South, Victoria. Founded in 1938, the company is one of Australia's largest chicken producers, supplying major supermarkets and retailers. It is majority-owned by Australian private equity firm BGH Capital.
Update: Victoria-based poultry giant Hazeldenes has been forced to halt production and shut down its IT systems after a major cyberattack first detected on 19 February 2026. The incident has crippled the company's processing and packaging capabilities at its Lockwood South facility, which processes approximately 900,000 birds per week and produces more than 85 million kilograms of chicken annually.
The disruption has caused immediate and significant shortages of chicken products for wholesalers, butchers, and supermarkets across Victoria, with businesses reporting a complete failure of deliveries without prior notification. Hazeldenes engaged external cybersecurity experts and notified relevant Australian authorities to investigate the breach.
The company began a phased return to production as of 25 February but has not confirmed whether customer or employee data was compromised, stating it will notify affected individuals if data has been impacted. No specific threat actor has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Australian Signals Directorate, which runs the Australian Cyber Security Centre, declined to comment on individual incidents. The company is majority-owned by private equity firm BGH Capital, which acquired a majority stake in 2021.
Why it Matters: This attack on Hazeldenes is a stark reminder of the vulnerability of Australia's critical food supply infrastructure. The immediate disruption to the supply chain demonstrates how a single point of failure in a concentrated industry can cascade into shortages affecting small businesses and consumers nationwide. The incident highlights the growing threat of cyberattacks targeting operational technology in the manufacturing and processing sectors, where halting physical production causes tangible economic damage well beyond data theft. For Australian businesses, this is a critical warning about the need for robust cybersecurity measures across both IT and OT environments to protect against supply chain collapse.
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