Security News > 2021 > June > Cyberattack Forces Meat Producer to Shut Down Operations in U.S., Australia

The world's largest meat distributor shut down some operations in both the United States and Australia over the Memorial Day weekend after a cyberattack on its IT systems that could have a significant effect on the food supply chain if not resolved quickly.

Though JBS did not disclose which of its U.S. operations were affected, in Australia JBS shut down operations across the states of Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania, according to JBS Australia CEO Brent Eastwood told Beef Central.

Without access to the internet and normal IT operations, Eastwood said that JBS could not conduct its usual processing operations, nor could its meat sales and lot feeding operations-the latter of which registers livestock entering into the supply chain-operate effectively, according to the report.

Because there is no telling how long operations will be disrupted, the attack could have a downstream effect on the food supply chain not only in Australia but also globally, one market analyst told ABC news in Australia.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. operations of JBS did not immediately return a request for comment and further details on the incident Tuesday morning.

Though there is no confirmation that the JBS attack was a ransomware attack, the fact that it forced a shutdown of IT operations seems to signal that.

News URL

https://threatpost.com/cyberattack-meat-producer-shut-down/166560/