Trump Publishes New Details About Retaking the Panama Canal
Post-Assad Syrian Christians Rise Up to Celebrate Christmas
Since When Did We Republicans Start Being Against Punishing Criminals?
Taking Another Look At ‘Die Hard’
Former Democratic Presidential Candidate Throws Hat in Ring for DNC Chair
Russia Blamed for Devastating Airline Crash That Killed 38 Passengers Near Ukraine
Protecting the Lives of Murderers, but Not Babies
Wishing for Santa-Like Efficiency in the USA
Texas Woman Arrested and Charged After Authorities Made This Horrifying Discovery
Man Arrested for Attempted Murder After Plowing Car Through Group of People on...
Bill Maher: 'This Is What I F***ing Hate About the Left'
Remember the Man Accused of Murdering Four University of Idaho Students? Well...
Russia Launched an ‘Inhumane’ Christmas Day Attack on Ukraine
Celebrating the Miracle of Redemption
A Letter to Jesus
Tipsheet

World's Biggest Meat Supplier Hit With Ransomware Attack, Affecting One-Fifth of US Beef Capacity

AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File

Weeks after a ransomware attack shut down Colonial Pipeline, JBS, the largest meat producer globally, has been forced to halt some of its operations due to a cyberattack over the weekend.

Advertisement

JBS, the U.S.'s No. 1 beef producer, said some of the servers in its North American and Australian IT systems were affected. 

“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 said in a statement. “The company’s backup servers were not affected, and it is actively working with an Incident Response firm to restore its systems as soon as possible.”

The incident has prompted fears of a global meat shortage.

JBS’s five biggest beef plants in the U.S. -- which altogether handle 22,500 cattle a day -- have halted processing following a weekend attack on the company’s computer networks, according to JBS posts on Facebook, labor unions and employees. Those outages alone have wiped out nearly a fifth of America’s production. Slaughter operations across Australia were also down, according to a trade group. One of Canada’s largest beef plants was idled for a second day.

It’s unclear exactly how many plants have been affected by the attack globally as JBS has yet to release details that granular. The prospect of more extensive shutdowns around the world is already upending agricultural markets and raising concerns about food security as hackers increasingly target critical infrastructure. In the U.S., JBS accounts for about a quarter of all beef capacity and roughly a fifth of all pork capacity. Livestock futures slumped while pork prices rose. […]

JBS closed meat processing facilities in Utah, Texas, Wisconsin and Nebraska and canceled shifts at plants in Iowa and Colorado on Tuesday, according to union officials and employees. Union Facebook posts also said some kill and fabrication shifts in the U.S. have also been canceled. Pork and chicken facilities across the nation are also being closed by the owner of Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., the second biggest U.S. chicken producer, according to union officials and employees. (Bloomberg)

Advertisement

JBS told the U.S. government it was a ransomware attack, likely from a Russian criminal organization.

"The White House has offered assistance to JBS and our team at the Department of Agriculture have spoken to their leadership several times in the last day," said White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre, reports Reuters.

"JBS notified the administration that the ransom demand came from a criminal organization likely based in Russia. The White House is engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals," Jean-Pierre added.

The company said "resolution of the incident will take time, which may delay certain transactions with customers and suppliers."

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Townhall Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement