The world's largest meat processing firm has paid a ransom of $11 million (£7.8 million) to stop a huge cyber-attack.JBS's computer networks were hacked last week, causing several businesses in Australia, Canada, and the United States to be temporarily shut down. After the plants were brought back online, the payment was purportedly paid using Bitcoin.
JBS claims that paying was essential to safeguard consumers.
A ransomware attack occurs when hackers gain access to a computer network and threaten to disrupt or erase files unless a bitcoin ransom is paid.
"For our firm and for me personally, this was a very tough choice to make," JBS CEO Andre Nogueira said.
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Despite the fact that the "great majority" of its plants remained running, the business said it paid the money because of the complexity of the assault. For one day, the business was obliged to suspend cow slaughtering at all of its US facilities. Food supply was jeopardized, and customers faced higher food costs as a result of the interruption.
The attack was carried out by a criminal organization "possibly based in Russia," according to the White House. Fuel distribution in the southeast of the United States was disrupted for several days last month after a ransomware assault on the Colonial Pipeline.
According to investigators, the incident was also related to a Russian-connected gang.
Colonial Pipeline has announced that it paid a ransom of $4.4 million (£3.1 million) to the cyber-criminal organization behind the attack. A total of $2.3 million has been collected by the Justice Department.
"Preliminary inquiry results reveal that no corporate, customer, or employee data was exposed," JBS, a Brazilian corporation, stated in a statement.
Next week, US Vice President Joe Biden will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva.
President Biden began his first official abroad trip by warning Russia that engaging in "destructive operations" will result in "strong and serious" repercussions.
Last week, a White House spokesperson stated, "The White House is working directly with the Russian government on this topic and communicating the message that responsible governments do not harbor ransomware criminals."
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