Australian meat production halted by JBS Foods cyber attack

A whopping 47 meat processing facilities across Australia have closed operations due to a cyber-attack against JBS Foods.

JBS Foods is an American-owned company and the world’s largest meat supplier. They own both Hans and Primo, and while the effects of this attack have majorly impacted Australian beef and lamb operations, the USA is facing unprecedented damages.

To date, all JBS beef plants are currently forced into an ongoing and total closure. JBS is a major contributor to the USA meat supply chain, processing approximately one-quarter of the USA’s beef, and a fifth of its pork.

Yesterday, the White House has verified the attack method as ransomware. FBI investigations are ongoing, however, the common consensus at this time is that the attack likely originates from Russia.

This marks the second time in a month that a major USA supply chain has been disrupted by ransomware. In a similar fashion to this attack against JBS, Colonial Pipelines – a major fuel supplier responsible for nearly half of the USA’s east coast fuel supply – was shut down by a ransomware attack from May 7 until May 13.

Naturally, the damages to these organisations are devastating. However, what’s of an equal -if not higher – concern is the surrounding ramifications against critical supply and the larger economy.

During a global pandemic in which supply chains are already under increasing pressure, 2021 has seen regular attacks against critical infrastructure and supply chains, including:

• Florida Water – Water Supply almost poisoned in cyber attack
• Waikato DHB – NZ hospitals still in difficult circumstances following ransomware
• The Reserve Bank of New Zealand– Bank database breached by cybercriminal(s)
• Uniting Care Queensland IT – Ransomware leads to disruptions across QLD hospitals

JBS Foods plans to re-open all domestic meat plants as of tomorrow, however, the road to recovery is still far ahead.

In the current threat landscape, it’s crucial that your business is familiar with ransomware and prepared for the worst-case scenario.

Here are a few key steps you can take to reduce the risk and impact of a ransomware attack:

Set up backups and redundant work systems: If your work systems were suddenly taken offline, how would your organisation continue to operate? The news for JBS is still relatively new, however, many of their disrupted facilities are planned to re-open as of tomorrow.

Prepare systems, procedures, and data backups in advance to ensure that your business is capable of operating during a potential attack or system outage.

Promote a cyber-safe work culture: A recent IBM report cited human error as the major cause behind 95% of data breaches in its research pool. Many ransomware attacks occur simply through phishing or malicious websites, which is why awareness is more important than ever.

Use cybersecurity awareness training, and foster an open and collaborative discussion around cybersafety in the workplace.

Set up two-factor authentication: Two-factor authentication (2FA) has been referred to as the seatbelts of cybersecurity. In the event that someone cracks or guesses your login credentials, 2FA exists to put up another barrier of entry as a safety measure.

Commonly used 2FA services include Authy, 1Pass, and Google Authenticator.

Not sure about the next steps to take for your cybersecurity? Visit cyberaware.com for key safety tips and takeaways.