Ransomware (extortion): Butcher’s shop, Switzerland 2018
Through an unprotected point in the router, an attacker introduced an encryption Trojan and encrypted the server holding the business data.
- Incident · 10.2018 · Nebikon LU, Switzerland
- Evidence: one media report
- Ransomware (extortion)
As of
What happened
Because the labelling scales were connected to the same system, they no longer knew any prices; delivery was delayed from 7 to 10 a.m. The last backup was two weeks old, so delivery notes and reports had to be re-entered, requiring more than 100 hours of additional effort.
- Affected
- Metzgerei Wechsler
- Industry
- Butcher’s shop
- Loss
- CHF 20'000
- Figure given by the source
- around 20'000 francs
- Business interruption
- unknown
- Ransom demanded / paid
- unknown / unknown
- Data affected
- Delivery notes, order quantities and work reports of two weeks lost
- Bankruptcy
- no
- Entry point
- unprotected point in the router
What would cyber insurance have paid?
That depends on the terms. Whether those affected were insured: unknown.
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Costs of getting data, software and systems running again
Mostly covered 6 of 9 business products cover it fully, as an add-on or with limits.
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Loss of income after an attack
Business interruption, only after the waiting period
Mostly covered 7 of 9 business products cover it fully, as an add-on or with limits.
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Immediate help in an emergency
Hotline, IT forensics, crisis PR and legal advice
Mostly covered 7 of 9 business products cover it fully, as an add-on or with limits.
Overview based on public policy terms, as of 06.11.2026. Only your policy and its general terms and conditions (GTC) are binding. No confirmation of cover.
What we can learn
Even a village business with networked scales needs a daily, separate backup; otherwise an attack costs weeks of rework.
Sources
- Metzger Wechsler und die Hacker (opens in a new window) Magazinbeitrag, Ausgabe 01/2019 (Hannes von Wyl, Florian Kalotay), PDF-Auszug auf compass-security.com · 2019
«Kosten des Vorfalls: rund 20 000 Franken.»