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By Justin Goulet/LethbridgeNewsNOW

JBS confirms it paid US$11 million in cyberattack ransom

Jun 10, 2021 | 2:39 PM

JBS Foods says it has paid the equivalent of $11 million U.S. in ransom in response to a cyberattack.

On May 31, it was announced that the company was the victim of a ransomware attack. On June 9, JBS USA confirmed that it had paid the ransom to those that hacked into its computer system.

In a statement on JBS’ website, JBS USA CEO Andre Nogueira said, “this was a very difficult decision to make for our company and for me personally.”

“However, we felt this decision had to be made to prevent any potential risk for our customers.”

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JBS noted that the FBI said this “is one of the most specialized and sophisticated cybercriminal groups in the world.”

“JBS USA’s ability to quickly resolve the issues resulting from the attack was due to its cybersecurity protocols, redundant systems and encrypted backup servers.”

The company is said to spend more than $200 million annually on IT and employs more than 850 IT professionals globally.

Throughout the incident, JBS Foods says it has maintained constant communications with government officials. Third-party forensic investigations are still taking place and no final determinations in the case have been made. JBS says that preliminary investigation results have confirmed that no company, customer or employee data was compromised in the cyberattack.

JBS is the second-largest producer of beef, pork and chicken in the United States. JBS Foods has operations in 15 countries, including a plant in Brooks.