Clorox reported approximately $49 million in costs related to its August 2023 cyberattack for the six months ended December 31, 2023. That interim figure is not the company’s final net expense for fiscal 2024: Clorox later reported about $29 million in FY2024 costs after insurance recoveries. A separate $380 million figure came from Clorox’s 2025 lawsuit and represents claimed damages, not an established loss or court award.
What the $49 million figure covers
The Clorox Company disclosed approximately $49 million in cyberattack-related costs for the six months ended December 31, 2023, in its fiscal 2024 second-quarter disclosure. The period began before the attack and includes costs recorded through the end of that calendar year; it is not a full-year total. Clorox described costs including third-party consulting, IT recovery and forensic experts, other professional services used to investigate and remediate the attack, and incremental operating expenses caused by the disruption. Clorox’s SEC-filed quarterly report is the source for the interim cost disclosure.
The figure is an expense measure, not a tally of all lost sales, all economic harm, or a damages award. Clorox said the attack also affected sales and earnings, but those business effects are a distinct measure from the reported incident costs.
Why Clorox later reported about $29 million
In its fiscal 2024 annual filing, Clorox reported approximately $29 million in cyberattack costs net of insurance recoveries. It also said it recognized $30 million in insurance recoveries in fiscal 2024’s fourth quarter. These figures use a different period and insurance treatment from the roughly $49 million six-month disclosure, so they should not be read as competing estimates of the same total. The FY2024 annual filing sets out the net annual amount and recovery.
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| Figure | What it measures | Period and treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Approximately $49 million | Cyberattack-related costs disclosed by Clorox | Six months ended December 31, 2023; interim figure |
| Approximately $29 million | Cyberattack costs reported by Clorox | FY2024; net of insurance recoveries |
| $30 million | Insurance recoveries recognized by Clorox | FY2024 fourth quarter |
| Approximately $380 million | Damages claimed by Clorox in a lawsuit | 2025 complaint; allegation, not a financial-statement expense or court finding |
How the attack disrupted Clorox’s operations
Clorox said unauthorized activity began Friday, August 11, 2023, and that it became aware of it that evening. The company began stopping and remediating the activity, disclosed the incident on Monday, August 14, and took some IT systems offline. It engaged outside cybersecurity experts and activated business-continuity plans that included manual ordering and processing at reduced operating rates.
The disruption carried into the quarter ended September 30, 2023. Clorox reported order-processing delays and significant product outages, which negatively affected net sales and earnings. Its SEC-filed disclosure stated: “The impacts of these system disruptions included order processing delays and significant product outages, resulting in a negative impact on net sales and earnings.”
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- KILLS 99.9% OF GERMS (3) WITHOUT SMELLING LIKE IT: Effective against viruses and bacteria, these wipes are perfect for keeping school surfaces hygienic, all with a gentle scent you love
- PERFECT FOR HOME AND CLASSROOM: Ideal for family homes and busy classroom settings, these versatile wipes tackle messes wherever the back to school season takes you
- TEACHERS' #1 WIPE (1): Used by educators across the country to keep classrooms clean during the school year, these Clorox wipes are the top choice for teachers
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Clorox later transitioned back to automated order processing, and operational impacts lessened in the second quarter. For FY2024 overall, the company said supply and distribution had been fully restored and most market share lost during the disruption had been recovered. It attributed a major role in its 18% organic sales decline in the first quarter of FY2024 to the attack-related disruption.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What Clorox alleged in its later lawsuit
In a 2025 complaint against Cognizant entities, Clorox alleged that service-desk failures enabled the August 2023 attack. Clorox claimed approximately $380 million in damages, including more than $49 million in remediation costs and hundreds of millions of dollars in business-interruption losses. Those amounts are allegations made by the plaintiff; they are not independently established facts, Clorox’s recorded FY2024 expense, or a court-ordered award. The public complaint is available through CourtListener.
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How to interpret the headlines
- For the headline claim that cyberattack costs exceeded $49 million, the relevant figure is Clorox’s approximately $49 million six-month disclosure through December 31, 2023.
- For the company’s full fiscal-year accounting, use its approximately $29 million FY2024 cost figure net of insurance recoveries, alongside its disclosure of $30 million in fourth-quarter recoveries.
- For the later $380 million figure, use the wording “Clorox claimed” or “Clorox alleged”; it describes claimed damages in litigation, not an adjudicated amount.
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