The next major cyber attack comes days after malware was discovered on USAID, a US foreign aid and service organization. This time the attack took place in the food sector. Ransomware viruses have infected the servers of JBS, the world's largest meat producer and distributor. The company told US officials that a group of criminal hackers from Russia were behind the ransomware attack and demanded money.
This is the third major cyber attack in a while. On May 7, the servers of the US Colonial Pipeline Company were attacked. Days ago, it was revealed that a group called Nobelium had carried out a cyber attack on the US foreign aid agency US Aid. Russian ties are being blamed on everything.
Stopping the meat supply sector
JBS is an international company headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The company employs more than 1.5 lakh people in 150 plants in 15 companies around the world. Big food companies like McDonald's are their clients. They gained a strong presence in the US market in 2007 by acquiring Swift & Company in the US.
The company has large manufacturing and distribution networks in the US. They control a quarter of the meat supply sector here. A situation where the beef, chicken and supply of the country would be severely affected if a day's work is interrupted.
JBS 's servers in the US, Canada and Australia were the main victims. With this, the company's manufacturing facilities in these areas experienced a major shutdown. Andre Negira, the company's CEO, said in a statement that the "server" system was being repaired.
What happened?
JBS's factory systems, including packaging and billing, are fully automated. The virus infects software systems that control their operation. Ransomware attacks are a way of spreading viruses on the servers of companies or organizations and then asking for money for troubleshooting. They ask for payments through cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. Something similar happened here.
Ransomware hackers are very popular in industries that pay for immediate attacks. Experts point out that companies in the food sector are being attacked with the aim of making quick payments for fear of huge repercussions if operations stall. This is not the first time in a year that hackers have targeted food companies. Last year, companies such as the Cambari Group in Milan, Italy, and Molson Coors in the US came under ransomware attacks. This is the 40th time in a year that a small or large cyber attack has taken place in the international food sector.
Who is behind it?
It remains unclear who this hacking group from Russia is. White House officials have said that notorious hacking groups such as the Revil and Sodinokibi are linked to Russia's involvement in the incident. The FBI has launched an investigation. Cyber security could also be a major topic of discussion between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin on June 16.
