Global meat processing company JBS has confirmed that it paid the equivalent of $US11 million to a criminal gang to end a cyber attack that halted its operations around the world last week, including Australia.
The company said it paid the money to mitigate any unforeseen issues related to the attack and ensure no data was exfiltrated. "This was a very difficult decision to make for our company and for me personally," said Andre Nogueira, the chief executive of JBS USA.A statement from the company highlights the FBI's assessment that the gang is "one of the most specialised and sophisticated cybercriminal groups in the world".
US statistics show 10 companies paid between $300,000 to $10 million to get back online in 2020, according to analyst Simon Quilty.
Tax deduction?