When a company with the global scale and resources of Ingram Micro falls victim to a ransomware attack, it sends a clear message to the entire IT ecosystem: No one is too big — or too prepared — to be targeted.
The attack, which reportedly happened just before the July 4 holiday weekend, resulted in a “worldwide outage” of Ingram Micro services, according to Dark Reading. Ingram Micro confirmed the incident in a news release issued on July 5 and said it was working to restore affected services as well as investigating the breach.
For MSPs supporting small and midsized businesses, the lesson learned is that if it can happen to an industry giant, it can happen to anyone.
Ingram Micro Statements Regarding Cybersecurity Incident
In its initial announcement, Ingram Micro stated that it launched an investigation with third-party cybersecurity experts and notified law enforcement. In addition, the company’s customer and partner support teams were working directly with those affected, per the statement.
On July 7, Ingram Micro provided an update on restoring transactional business, stating that subscription orders were available globally, though there were some limitations. It directed customers to contact Unified Support to place subscription orders.
Then, late on July 8, the company announced that the attack had been contained and remediated:
“As previously announced, Ingram Micro has been working diligently with leading third-party cybersecurity experts to investigate and remediate the cybersecurity incident announced on July 5, 2025, including proactively taking certain systems offline and implementing other mitigation measures. Based on these measures and the assistance of third-party cybersecurity experts, we believe the unauthorized access to our systems in connection with the incident is contained and the affected systems remediated. Our investigation into the scope of the incident and affected data is ongoing.
“Our team has been working around the clock on this matter to restore affected systems. We have implemented additional safeguards and monitoring measures to protect our network environment as we bring our systems back online.”
Beyond that, the company issued this update on July 9:
“Our teams are now able to process and ship orders received via EDI, or electronically, as well as by phone or email across all of our business regions.
“The security of our IT ecosystem has been a top priority for us throughout this incident. We have implemented security protocols and processes as we recover our systems, and we will continue to communicate our progress as appropriate on restoration of relevant services.”
An Ingram Micro representative directed any requests for further information to the company’s page dedicated to the cyber incident. No further details were included in the statements.
However, SafePay — one of the year’s most active ransomware groups — reportedly was responsible, according to news reports and industry discussions online. In addition, several entities reported that the attack vector was a VPN compromise via the GlobalProtect platform, however, that was not confirmed.
More Than an Outage
Security experts have said this incident reflects a growing trend in the threat landscape. Attackers are deliberately going after vendors and distributors to cause wider downstream disruption.
Douglas McKee
In fact, this can be considered “strategic escalation,” according to Douglas McKee, executive director of threat research at SonicWall.
“Adversaries are increasingly targeting third-party distributors to exploit the supply chain ripple effect. … Organizations must stop viewing these distributors as peripheral and instead harden them as critical infrastructure. From segmented networks to Zero Trust VPN access and continuous validation of MSP channels, we need to build resilience upstream, not just downstream. That starts with embedded product security testing, proactively validating the software and systems in your stack before attackers get the chance.”
For MSPs, that means the risks aren’t confined to the end-user level. Any trusted partner — vendor, distributor, or service provider — can become a target. The ripple effects of an attack can cascade quickly through procurement, service delivery, and customer trust.
Key Takeaways for MSPs
Cyberattacks don’t discriminate by size, sector, or maturity. Distributors, vendors, MSPs, and end users are all in the crosshairs. For service providers, this latest incident offers several reminders:
- Assume breach, not perfection. Even with layered defenses, sophisticated attackers can and will get through. Regularly review your own MSP’s security protocols, and help SMB clients to do the same.
- Prevention and response go hand in hand. Swift identification, containment, and recovery are just as vital as proactive defenses. Help clients develop and test incident response plans before they need them.
- Third-party risk is your risk. Every supplier and platform in your stack should be vetted, monitored, and integrated into your security strategy. This is especially true of those with elevated access or control.
- Communication early and often. Issuing a public statement even as the investigation continues reflects transparency and builds long-term trust. And Ingram Micro continued to provide updates via a dedicated method. That’s a lesson for MSPs and their clients alike.
- Educate clients on shared responsibility. Many SMBs still view cybersecurity as a background concern. MSPs must emphasize that every employee, system, and vendor relationship contributes to — or weakens — a company’s overall posture.
Kevin McDonald
You’re Never Too Small
The news of the cyber attack came on the heels of Ingram Micro unveiling a key partnership with Alvaka Networks. Through this, Ingram Micro’s channel partners get direct access to immediate emergency ransomware remediation services from Alvaka when disaster strikes.
It’s a timely move that highlights how fast response capabilities are becoming a must-have for any channel partner.
In a previous interview, Alvaka COO and CISO Kevin McDonald advised MSPs to practice what they preach when it comes to security practices. “Eat your own dog food. You should be doing everything you’re telling your clients to do — patching vulnerabilities, using MFA, segmenting networks, and reviewing alerts. Don’t assume your firewall is fine just because it’s there. Update it. Monitor it.”
Increasingly, no business is too peripheral to matter. MSPs play a central role not only in protecting their clients but in shoring up the broader supply chain. As attackers seek leverage upstream, resilience must be a shared responsibility across the channel.
Want more helpful guidance on security? Check out ChannelPro’s Cybersecurity Answer Center.
Article updated on July 9, 2025.
Featured image: iStock
