Braum’s Struck Twice: Hunter’s International returns with a 1.5 TB Ransomware Attack
In early 2025, Hunters International carried out a devastating second ransomware strike on Braum’s Ice Cream & Dairy Stores, reportedly exfiltrating 1.5 TB of sensitive data—ranging from employee Social Security Number’s to proprietary financial data—and crippling their drive-thru operations once again. This attack forced Braum’s to go “cash-only” for a period of time until the issue was resolved. This repeat breach shows how critical layered defenses and proactive detection truly are.
How This Attack Likely Happened
While official technical details are scarce, ransomware campaigns like this often follow a familiar pattern:
Initial Access - Attackers may have exploited weak remote access points, phishing emails, or unpatched/outdated systems.
Privilege Escalation & Lateral Movement - Once inside, the attackers moved laterally through Braum’s network, seeking high-value systems.
Data Exfiltration - Before encryption, Hunters likely copied large amounts of sensitive data (1.5 TB reported per Halcyon Attacks Lookout).
Encryption & Disruption - POS systems and drive-thru operations were shut down, forcing stores into cash-only mode and causing major disruptions.
There is also community speculation that Braum’s was relying on outdated POS systems, which may have created additional vulnerabilities. This has not been confirmed, but if true, it highlights the risks of delaying upgrades and patch management in customer-facing infrastructure.
Prevention: What Could Have Stopped It
Comprehensive network segmentation to isolate POS and corporate systems.
Endpoint detection + SIEM to detect anomalous downloads or bulk exfiltration.
Rapid response protocols after the first breach—this one may have been preventable if remediation had closely followed.
Employee training and phishing simulations, because ransomware often starts with social engineering.
Takeaway:
A second ransomware attack isn’t just bad luck—it’s a signal that a business didn’t fix its broken controls. Holding cyber resilience means expecting attackers to come back. Organizations must think in terms of layers, not just immunity.