Brazilian company JBS has told the US government that a ransomware attack on the company that disrupted meat production in North America and Australia originated from a criminal organisation likely based in Russia, the White House has said.
The cyberattack followed one last month by a group with ties to Russia on Colonial Pipeline, the largest fuel pipeline in the United States, which crippled fuel delivery for several days in the US southeast. With North American operations headquartered in Greeley, Colorado, JBS controls about 20% of the slaughtering capacity for US cattle and pigs.
The disruption quickly had an impact, industry analysts said. US meatpackers slaughtered 22% fewer cattle than a week earlier and 18% than a year earlier, according to estimates from the US Department of Agriculture. Pork processing was also down.