The JBS beef plant in Brooks, Alberta, Canada, on June 1. Photo: Alex Ramadan/Bloomberg via Getty Images
JBS SA told Bloomberg Tuesday that a "vast majority" of its plants will be operational Wednesday after a ransomware attack forced all of the company's beef plants in the U.S. to shut down.
The latest: A Russia-linked hacking group dubbed REvil or Sodinokibi is reportedly responsible for the cyberattack, Bloomberg writes.
- "While it’s unclear if all of REvil’s hackers operate in Russia, the group’s public face, a user on the dark web cyber-crime forum XSS who goes by the name “Unknown,” exclusively publishes in Russian," per Bloomberg.
Why it matters: The attack has raised fears of meat supply or pricing issues, similar to what happened to gas prices and availability after the ransomware attack against Colonial Pipeline last month.
What they're saying: "Our systems are coming back online and we are not sparing any resources to fight this threat," JSB USA CEO Andre Nogueria said in a statement to Bloomberg.
The big picture: The Department of Agriculture said Tuesday that it has contacted major U.S. meat processors to encourage them to "accommodate additional capacity where possible, and to stress the importance of keeping supply moving."
- Karine Jean-Pierre, the principal deputy press secretary for the White House, said Tuesday the FBI is investigating the attack.
- "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 said.