A ransomware attack on one of the largest meat producers in the world was likely from a criminal organization in Russia, the White House said.
While the FBI is investigating the incident and the White House said it’s directly engaging with Russia on the issue, the cyberattack comes as meat prices are already at a record high due to a lack of supply.
JBS USA said it was attacked on Sunday and fixing the problem will take time. The company’s IT systems in North America and Australia were targeted.
JBS USA issued this statement:
“The company 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. Resolution of the incident will take time, which may delay certain transactions with customers and suppliers.”
News4Jax on Tuesday spoke with Chris Prevatt, a cattle expert with the University of Florida. He said that even before this hack, a lack of supply and increase in demand during the coronavirus pandemic has already caused beef prices to go up.
“Compared to a year ago, beef is about 5% higher across the board. Ground beef is in that 5-7% range. Some steaks are up to 5-15%,” Prevatt said.
Prevatt said that if the cyberattack on JBS disturbs on production, it is very possible those prices could be impacted even more.
And while the impact of the attack on meat supplies is unclear, regardless, Prevatt said, don’t expect these prices to go down anytime soon especially before the Fourth of July.
Keeping information safe
The ransomware attack on the meat producer is the second high-profile cyberattack in less than a month.
In May, a gang of hackers shut down operation of the Colonial Pipeline, the largest U.S. fuel pipeline, for nearly a week.
These attacks show a weak spot among some of the biggest companies in the country, and many people are concerned about their personal information.
Here’s what you can do right now to keep your information safe: The No. 1 way to make sure your information is safe is by being your own advocate. That includes checking your credit reports to make sure there’s nothing off. Don’t forget that because of the pandemic, all three credit reporting agencies --Equifax, Experian and TransUnion -- offer one free credit report a week.
Another step you can take right now to protect your information is freezing your credit. All you have to do is go to each of the three credit report agencies and make the request, but if you do plan on taking a loan or getting a new credit card, you will have to unfreeze it first.
All it takes is a click on the wrong email for an entire company to be compromised.
Cybersecurity expert Chris Hamer said the latest hacks prove there is a significant need for change to protect not just a company’s information but your personal information.
“They need to train their employees. The first line of defense is going to be employees. They need to train them regularly and rigorously on what a phishing email is, what a social engineering phone call is, why you don’t go to websites that are not company approved on company time on company equipment,” Hamer said.
Hamer explained that these cybercriminals try to bait thousands of companies using encrypted phishing emails, waiting for one person to click on a link that gives access to take over the company’s entire system.
The hackers will target IT departments like what happened with JBS USA and the Colonial Pipeline, and if they get access to companies’ systems with a ransomware attack, they can hold the company hostage until it pays up -- which in the case of the Colonial Pipeline, cost the company $4.4 million.