JBS USA said it paid an $11 million ransom to cyber attackers that shut down operations in the U.S. and Australia last week. In a press statement, JBS said the vast majority of the company’s facilities were operational when the ransom was paid.
The payment, made in bitcoin, was intended to prevent further disruption and to limit the potential impact on restaurants, grocery stores and farmers that rely on JBS, said Andre Nogueira, CEO, JBS USA.
“This was a very difficult decision to make for our company and for me personally,” Nogueira said. “However, we felt this decision had to be made to prevent any potential risk for our customers.”
JBS USA has nine beef plants, and is part of JBS SA, the Brazilian-owned company that is the world’s largest meatpacker. JBS USA accounts for about 23% of U.S. beef production.
The FBI last week attributed the attack to REvil and Sodinokibi, and the bureau said it was focused on “holding the responsible cyber actors accountable.” The cybercriminal group is “one of the most specialized and sophisticated” in the world, the FBI said.
“Third-party forensic investigations are still ongoing, and no final determinations have been made. Preliminary investigation results confirm that no company, customer or employee data was compromised,” JBS USA said.
