• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
RetailMcDonald's

Hackers hit McDonald’s in the U.S., South Korea, and Taiwan

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 11, 2021, 10:55 AM ET

McDonald’s has suffered a data breach in the U.S., South Korea, and Taiwan.

The burger chain said hackers infiltrated and stole data from its systems, but no U.S. customer data was breached. Delivery customers and some employees in South Korea and Taiwan, however, did have personal data exposed, including their emails, phone numbers, and addresses.

The breach, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, did not seem to expose critical information for U.S. stores. Among the data the hackers accessed were business contact information for U.S. employees and franchisees and restaurant information, including seating capacity and the square footage of play areas.

McDonald’s says the attack was not a ransomware attack, such as those experienced lately by other companies, and would have no impact on the day-to-day operations of its restaurants. Recent investments in cybersecurity paid off as the company said it was able to quickly terminate the hackers’ access soon after the breach was discovered.

The company is warning employees and affected customers and franchisees in South Korea and Taiwan to be on the lookout for phishing emails.

Corporations have become a favorite target of hackers in the past few months, with an increasing focus on ransomware. Colonial Pipeline paid $4.4. million to the hacker group DarkSide, which has ties to Russia, to resume the smooth flow of fuel supplies along the East Coast. That money was largely recovered by the FBI the following month. And beef supplier JBS paid hackers $11 million after its plants were taken offline, which could have affected one-fifth of the nation’s meat supply.

McDonald’s tells the Journal it was not asked for, nor did it pay, any sort of ransom.

More must-read tech coverage from Fortune:

  • Hot cryptocurrencies set off a stampede for their unlikely mascot: Shiba Inu dogs
  • Just one individual brought a huge chunk of the Internet down on Tuesday
  • Hot tech upstart Snowflake reveals plans to go beyond its niche
  • Volkswagen-backed battery startup raises $2.75 billion to fuel European expansion
  • SurveyMonkey changes its name as it expands beyond surveys

Our mission to make business better is fueled by readers like you. To enjoy unlimited access to our journalism, subscribe today.

About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

A man helps a woman pick meat in the grocery store
EconomyFood and drink
Beef is becoming a luxury as prices stay at record highs. They likely won’t come down until 2028, says expert
By Jacqueline MunisApril 22, 2026
1 hour ago
douches
RetailFood and drink
Meet the man who invents new potato varieties for your potato chips: 5 new variants in the last 15 years
By Dee-Ann Durbin, Mike Householder and The Associated PressApril 22, 2026
6 hours ago
Nike’s ‘Walkers Tolerated’ sign at the Boston Marathon was meant to fire up runners. Instead, it insulted them
RetailMarketing
Nike’s ‘Walkers Tolerated’ sign at the Boston Marathon was meant to fire up runners. Instead, it insulted them
By Phil WahbaApril 20, 2026
2 days ago
mississippi
RetailMississippi
Mississippi alcohol community roiled by liquor, wine delay from state warehouse failure
By Sophie Bates, Adrian Sainz and The Associated PressApril 18, 2026
4 days ago
trump
CommentaryManufacturing
Tariffs alone won’t save American manufacturing — here’s what actually will
By Johan "Kip" EidebergApril 18, 2026
4 days ago
Food companies are finally cutting prices. PepsiCo shows it’s worth it
EconomyFortune 500
Food companies are finally cutting prices. PepsiCo shows it’s worth it
By Phil WahbaApril 17, 2026
6 days ago

Most Popular

The tables have turned: Florida and Texas are the biggest losers in the housing market as Ohio emerges a surprise winner
Real Estate
The tables have turned: Florida and Texas are the biggest losers in the housing market as Ohio emerges a surprise winner
By Sydney LakeApril 21, 2026
1 day ago
'Something sinister could be happening': FBI looks into dead or missing nuclear and space defense scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, and SpaceX
Politics
'Something sinister could be happening': FBI looks into dead or missing nuclear and space defense scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, and SpaceX
By Catherina GioinoApril 21, 2026
1 day ago
‘Something sinister’: What we know about the FBI probe into dead and missing scientists linked to space and military industries
Economy
‘Something sinister’: What we know about the FBI probe into dead and missing scientists linked to space and military industries
By Jim EdwardsApril 22, 2026
9 hours ago
$166 billion in tariff refunds just became available, but small businesses may already be at a disadvantage
Law
$166 billion in tariff refunds just became available, but small businesses may already be at a disadvantage
By Sasha RogelbergApril 20, 2026
2 days ago
Jeff Bezos once gave Eva Longoria and the admiral behind Osama bin Laden's capture $100 million—but she says you don't need wealth to give back
Success
Jeff Bezos once gave Eva Longoria and the admiral behind Osama bin Laden's capture $100 million—but she says you don't need wealth to give back
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 21, 2026
2 days ago
John Ternus, the man stepping into Tim Cook and Steve Jobs' shoes, is a 25-year Apple veteran with zero LinkedIn posts
C-Suite
John Ternus, the man stepping into Tim Cook and Steve Jobs' shoes, is a 25-year Apple veteran with zero LinkedIn posts
By Kelvin Chan and The Associated PressApril 21, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.