On June 2, US authorities said the attack on JBS, a Brazilian meat producer, was carried out by hackers linked to Russia, and that US investigators are working “diligently” to bring the group to justice.
According to an FBI statement, the JBS attack was ascribed to REvil and Sodinokibi, and anyone who has been a victim of a cyberattack is urged to notify the bureau immediately.
According to cybersecurity specialists referenced in US media sources, REvil and Sodinokibi are two names for the same hacker outfit with ties to Russia.
The hack on JBS, the world's largest meat producer, was suspected to be the work of a criminal cell located in Russia, according to the White House.
Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for the White House, said on June 2 that a study was underway to determine how to respond and that no alternatives had been ruled out. Psaki stated that the US is in close contact with Russia "to express our concerns about these stories."
According to her, the hack is expected to be discussed at the June 16 summit between US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Psaki stated, "President Biden absolutely believes that President Putin and the Russian government have a role to play in stopping and deterring these attacks."
The attack began on June 1, targeted servers that power JBS' operations in North America and Australia. According to representatives from the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) international union, the affected processing plants should be back up to full capacity in the following few days.
On June 1, JBS announced that "substantial progress in resolving the hack" had been made.
The FBI and the White House have both declined to comment on the ransom, and it's unclear whether JBS paid it.
The intrusion comes after a ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, the country's largest pipeline, which disrupted petroleum supply in the Southeast for several days last month. The corporation paid the hackers $4.4 million to halt the attack, which was carried out by a group with ties to Russia.
Ransomware is a sort of attack that encrypts a victim's digital data, making it unusable until the targeted firm pays the ransom.
