JBS cyber attack: Russian criminal organisation could be to blame

The world’s largest red-meat processor is resuming operations in Australia, as details about a cyber attack that shut it down come to light.

The northern Australian offices of JBS in Dinmore, west of Brisbane, after being hit by a cyber attack. Picture: Patrick Hamilton / AFP

A cyber attack that put the world’s largest red-meat processor out of action in the US, Canada and Australia is suspected to have originated from a criminal organisation, likely based in Russia.

International news organisation Reuters, reporting the revelation from the White House, said the US had contacted Russia’s government and that the FBI was investigating.

Brazilian-owned company JBS was hit by organised hackers on the weekend, temporarily halting its meat processing in Australia and North America.

JBS controls one quarter of Australia’s beef-cattle processing capacity and is the country’s largest red-meat company.

Analysts have expressed concern the disruption to operations could increase the cost of meat on supermarket shelves, and cut the cost of cattle prices for farmers – if there was a bottleneck of finished cattle, ready to be processed, but a lack of processor capacity.

However, any impacts are dependent on how long JBS abattoirs are out of action.

In a statement on Thursday morning, JBS USA said it anticipated plants would be operating at “close to full capacity” globally tomorrow.

“Today, the vast majority of our facilities resumed operations as we forecast yesterday, including all of our pork, poultry and prepared foods facilities around the world and the majority of our beef facilities in the US and Australia,” JBS USA chief executive Andre Nogueira said.

A JBS processing plant stands dormant after halting operations in Greeley, Colorado. Picture: Chet Strange/AFP

On Wednesday, Mr Nogueira said the company was “not sparing any resources to fight this threat”.

He said several of the company’s pork, poultry and prepared foods plants were operational and its Canada beef facility had resumed production.

JBS does not believe any customer, supplier or employee data was compromised in the attack.

The company said operations in Mexico and the UK were not impacted and are conducting business as normal.