LeadingIT warns freight firms after Uber Freight cyber incident

LeadingIT says freight and logistics companies face rising cyber risk after an incident at Uber Freight renewed concern about vendor fraud and credential theft. The Chicago managed IT firm is urging businesses to tighten verification, authentication and incident-response practices.

Why it matters: - Freight and logistics companies handle payment changes, invoices and vendor requests that cybercriminals can exploit. - Many regional operators do not have a dedicated security team, which makes fake vendor communications harder to catch. - A breach in dispatch, billing or transportation management systems can turn into direct financial loss, not just an IT problem.

What happened: - LeadingIT said its cybersecurity team is tracking a rise in cyberattacks against freight and logistics companies. - The warning followed Uber Freight's cybersecurity incident this week. - Uber Freight said the incident was identified, contained and remediated. - Uber Freight said it engaged federal law enforcement and that operations continued without disruption. - A group calling itself Helix claimed to have taken nearly 1 million files, but that figure is unverified. - LeadingIT said it is not involved in the Uber Freight investigation.

The details: - CargoNet's Q2 2026 report recorded $304.6 million in cargo theft and fraud losses, more than double the year-ago level. - The FBI reported nearly $725 million in 2025 losses, a 60 percent increase. - LeadingIT cited a related May case in which a suburban Chicago man was sentenced to five years in federal prison for a $10.1 million freight-fraud scheme. - The company said its team has found that many breaches start with a phone call or email that seems familiar enough to pass without verification. - LeadingIT recommends verifying payment-change requests through an independently looked-up phone number, not one included in the message. - LeadingIT also recommends phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication, a tested incident response plan, regular vendor-security reviews and monitoring for exposed credentials on the dark web. - LeadingIT serves the Loop, West Loop and Cook County as a managed IT services and cybersecurity provider. - The company says it supports businesses with IT help desk coverage and full IT outsourcing. - LeadingIT has served Chicagoland businesses since 2010. - The company offers a free cybersecurity risk check for dispatch, billing and TMS systems. - LeadingIT also offers a free check to see whether credentials or other data are already exposed.

Between the lines: - The warning is as much about process failure as advanced malware. - The risk grows when companies treat IT outsourcing as a help-desk convenience instead of a security control. - The recurring pattern in these incidents is social engineering, where a convincing request gets approved before anyone verifies it. - LeadingIT is using the Uber Freight case to push a broader message about vendor discipline across the logistics sector.

What's next: - Freight and logistics firms are likely to face more pressure to review vendor payment controls and authentication practices. - Companies that move quickly to tighten verification procedures may reduce the odds that a phishing email becomes a fraudulent transfer. - LeadingIT is positioning its free review and risk check as a next step for regional operators evaluating their exposure.

The bottom line: - In freight and logistics, one unverified vendor request can be enough to trigger a costly breach or fraud loss.