Skip to main content
News

San Francisco Waste-Hauling Giant Recology Hacked

Written by Annie GausPublished Nov. 14, 2023 • 11:54am
A Recology worker loads compost into a truck in San Francisco.
Recology worker Miguel Rojas dumps compostable materials into his truck in San Francisco on Dec. 10, 2010. | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

San Francisco waste-hauling firm Recology suffered a cybersecurity breach, the company said on Monday. 

A spokesperson for the company, which operates a waste and recycling monopoly in San Francisco, said that it “experienced a cybersecurity incident that has caused some systems and applications to be temporarily unavailable.

“We are in the process of investigating this incident and carefully bringing applications back online,” the spokesperson wrote in an email. “We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding.”

The company did not immediately clarify whether customer data had been compromised or the exact nature of any system interruptions. 

However, some customers noted disruptions that may have been connected to the hack: A writer for the San Francisco Business Times reported that Recology workers blamed system issues for a delay in a melted bin being picked up. 

Service crews remain in the field, and refuse collection continues, the company said. 

It isn’t the first time that Recology has been impacted by a data breach. 

In February 2021, the company notified Recology customers in King County about a ransomware attack on an invoicing application called Automatic Funds Transfer Service (AFTS). Customer data was not taken in the incident, but payments were temporarily disrupted. 

Annie Gaus can be reached at annie@sfstandard.com


Ken Hong Wong, wearing a grey suit, walks into the federal courthouse looking downward.

Fiona Ma Backs Ex-Parole Agent Facing Prison in San Francisco Bribery Scandal


A illustration that includes a range of colorful speech bubbles in different sizes overlayed on a black and white photo of San Francisco skyline that includes the Transamerica Pyramid, Golden Gate Bridge and Salesforce Tower

Opinion: The San Francisco Standard Wants To Hear Your Voice


Jail inmate Nima Momeni, suspect for the killing of Cash App founder Bob Lee, while dressed in an orange sweatshirt and sweatpants fixes his hair while looking out the window of his jail cell.

Awaiting Trial in Bob Lee Killing, Nima Momeni Has Books but Few Visitors to Jail Cell


a woman in a white cape and sunglasses walks down a corridor

Khazar Momeni, Sister of Alleged Bob Lee Killer, Arrested in DUI Hit-and-Run Crash


A man in a suit is behind a microphone.

San Francisco Goes Down to the Wire on Key Housing Reform Bill