FBI: Russian Ransomware Group Responsible for Cyberattack on Meat Supplier

The FBI has attributed the recent cyberattack on meat supplier JBS to a Russian hacker group called REvil.

Engadget reports that following a cyberattack earlier this week that shut down several JBS meat processing facilities, the “vast majority” of facilities have resumed regular production across the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Breitbart News reported earlier this week that a cyberattack crippled JBS, the largest meat supplier in the world. The company is also Australia’s largest meat and food processing company with 47 facilities across the country including abattoirs, feedlots, and meat processing sites. JBS employs around 1,100 people.

JBS USA said in a statement from Greeley, Colorado, on Monday that it was the target of an “organized cybersecurity attack,” affecting some of its servers supporting its North American and Australian IT systems. Now, production has largely returned to normal with the company stating that it should be at “near full capacity” by today.

The company added that it is “not aware of any evidence at this time that any customer, supplier or employee data has been compromised.” The FBI now claims that the cyberattack was perpetrated by the Russian hacking group REvil, also known as Sodinokibi.

REvil has perpetrated multiple ransomware attacks in an attempt to receive millions of dollars in payments from affected companies. It has targeted hundreds of businesses including Travelex, Acer, and Apple supplier Quanta.

In an attempt to force Quanta to pay them, REvil leaked the supposed blueprint for an unannounced MacBook model and went to Apple for payment after Quanta refused to negotiate. REvil has not publicly claimed responsibility for the JBS attack and is just one of a number of hacking groups taking part in recent ransomware attacks.