Meat giant confirmed it paid $US11m ransom
Detroit: The world’s largest meat processing company says it paid the equivalent of $US11 million ($14.2 million) to hackers who broke into its computer system forcing the closure of meat processing plants in the United States and Australia.
Last week Brazil-based JBS said it was the victim of a ransomware attack, but this is the first time the company’s US division confirms it paid a ransom.
“This was a very difficult decision to make for our company and for me personally,” said Andre Nogueira, the CEO of JBS USA. “However, we felt this decision had to be made to prevent any potential risk for our customers.”
Employees exit from the JBS Beef Production Facility in Greeley, Colorado.Credit:Bloomberg
JBS said the vast majority of its facilities were operational at the time it made the payment, but it decided to pay in order to avoid any unforeseen issues and ensure no data was exfiltrated.
