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Catherina Cunnane
Catherina Cunnanehttps://www.thatsfarming.com/
Catherina Cunnane hails from a sixth-generation drystock and specialised pedigree suckler enterprise in Co. Mayo. She currently holds the positions of editor and general manager at That's Farming, having joined the firm during its start-up phase in 2015.
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Meat processor pays $11 million in ransom to attackers

JBS USA has paid the equivalent of $11 million in ransom in response to the criminal hack against its operations.

According to the meat processor, the vast majority of the company’s facilities were operational at the time of payment.

In a statement, Andre Nogueira, CEO, JBS USA, said: “In consultation with internal IT professionals and third-party cybersecurity experts, the company made the decision to mitigate any unforeseen issues related to the attack and ensure no data was exfiltrated.”

“This was a very difficult decision to make for our company and for me personally. However, we felt this decision had to be made to prevent any potential risk for our customers.”

The statement outlined that the FBI stated this is one of the most specialised and sophisticated cybercriminal groups in the world.

“JBS USA’s ability to quickly resolve the issues resulting from the attack was due to its cybersecurity protocols, redundant systems, and encrypted backup servers. The company spends more than $200 million annually on IT and employs more than 850 IT professionals globally.”

JBS USA said it has maintained constant communications with government officials throughout the incident.

“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,” the spokesperson added.

Shut down beef and lamb kill 

As we reported, the world’s largest meat processor company suspended its beef and lamb kills and shut down operations after attackers targeted its global IT system.

The company has since resolved the criminal cyber-attack which took place on Sunday, May 30th.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: “The company’s swift response, robust IT systems and encrypted backup servers allowed for a rapid recovery.”

“As a result, JBS USA and Pilgrims were able to limit the loss of food produced during the attack to less than one days’ worth of production.”

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