Meatpacking Giant JBS Pays $11 Million to Resolve Ransomware Attack
JBS, the world's largest meat processor, pays $11 million in ransom to the Russian-speaking hacker group REvil to protect its customers following a major cyberattack. This payment highlights a growing trend of high-profile ransomware strikes targeting critical U.S. infrastructure.
JBS, the world's largest meat processor, confirms it pays an $11 million ransom to cyberattackers who target the company's servers in the United States and Australia. CEO Andre Nogueira describes the payment as a very difficult decision but states it is necessary to prevent any potential risk for customers. The FBI attributes the attack to REvil, a Russian-speaking cybercriminal gang.
This massive ransom payment follows a similar incident involving Colonial Pipeline, where hackers force the company to shut down fuel distribution across the Southeastern United States. The Colonial attack causes widespread panic-buying and gas shortages before the company ultimately pays a $4.4 million ransom to the attackers. Federal authorities now treat these frequent digital extortions as a serious national security risk.
In response to this escalating threat, federal law enforcement launches a new Ransomware and Digital Extortion Task Force. This specialized task force successfully recovers more than half of the ransom money paid by Colonial Pipeline. The recovery operation shows active government efforts to combat the rising tide of cyberattacks that disrupt critical supply chains and essential services.