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Meat-packing Giant JBS USA Shuts Down Systems Following Cyberattack

By Ionut Arghire on June 01, 2021

JBS USA, the US subsidiary of the world's largest meat processing company, said Monday that some operations were shut down following a cyberattack that affected its North American and Australian IT network.

Headquartered in Greeley, Colorado, JBS USA (JBS Foods) is a global food company wholly owned by Brazil-based JBS S.A., the largest meat processing firm in the world. In addition to the United States, JBS has operations in Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, and Europe.

In a statement, the company announced that an “organized cybersecurity attack” identified on Sunday impacted servers used in support of its North American and Australian IT systems.

The cyberattack does threaten the food supply chain and could lead to shorateds and price increases.

“The company took immediate action, suspending all affected systems, notifying authorities and activating the company's global network of IT professionals and third-party experts to resolve the situation,” JBS USA said.

[ Also Read: Cybersecurity Threats to the Food Supply Chain ]

AFP reported that the company’s Australian facilities have been “paralysed by the attack,” with up to 10,000 meat workers being sent home without pay.

The company claimed that its backup servers were not impacted by the incident and that it has already started the recovery operations, to have systems back online as soon as possible.

JBS USA also notes that it hasn’t found evidence that customer, employee, or supplier data might have been compromised or misused during the attack, but warns of possible delays in transactions.

“Resolution of the incident will take time, which may delay certain transactions with customers and suppliers,” the company said.

JBS has not shared any technical details regarding the incident, but it may be a ransomware attack.

SecurityWeek has contacted JBS for clarifications on the incident, but hasn’t received a reply yet.