JBS says cyber-attack affecting plant operations likely came from Russia

JBS has told U.S. government officials it believes the cybersecurity attack that has affected the meat processing giant’s computer servers in North America and Australia was likely based in Russia.

“JBS notified the administration that the ransom demand came from a criminal organization likely based in Russia,” said White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday. “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.”

“We’re assessing any impacts on supply, and the President has directed the administration to determine what we can do to mitigate any impacts as they may become necessary,” she continued.

JBS says it took immediate action after noticing the attack on Sunday — suspending all affected systems, notifying authorities, and activating the company’s global network of IT professionals and third-party experts to resolve the situation. It also halted operations at five of its biggest beef plants in the U.S.

JBS has not confirmed details on how slaughter operations have been impacted at its beef plant Brooks, Alberta, but it appears both the “A” and “B” shifts of harvest and fabrication were cancelled on Monday, and the A shift was cancelled again on Tuesday, according to the JBS Canada Instagram account.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s daily cattle slaughter estimates showed 94,000 head of cattle were processed on June 1, a drop of 27,000 head from the same time last week.

JBS says it is not aware of any evidence at this time that any customer, supplier or employee data has been compromised or misused as a result of the situation.