$100M Cyberattack Claim Finally Settled by Mondelez, Zurich

Mondelez International has settled its lawsuit against Zurich American Insurance Company, which it brought because the insurer refused to cover the snack giant’s $100-million-plus cleanup bill following the 2017 NotPetya outbreak.

The years-long legal battle over the claim has been closely watched by cyber-insurance and legal experts.

It has helped fuel an ongoing debate over what constitutes an act of war -- which even in cyberspace could invalidate an insurance claim -- and whether insurance companies should pay damages caused by network intrusions supported or organized by nation states.

Mondelez, which owns Oreo cookies, Sour Patch Kids candy, Ritz crackers, and dozens of other brands, declined to comment on the settlement. A Zurich American spokesperson, however, told us "the parties have mutually resolved the matter."