JBS Paid Hackers $11 Million

JBS paid $11 million to the hackers behind a ransomware attack late last month. In a press release this week, the company confirmed the payment. At the time of payment, most of the company’s facilities were operational. However, in consultation with internal IT professionals and third-party cybersecurity experts, the company decided to mitigate any unforeseen issues related to the attack and ensure no data was exfiltrated. JBS USA leadership states, “the payment will “prevent any potential risk for our customers.” The hacker group REvil initiated the cyberattack that shut down JBS packing plants for at least a day. Upon learning of the intrusion, the company contacted federal officials and activated its cybersecurity protocols, including voluntarily shutting down all its systems to isolate the intrusion, limit potential infection and preserve core systems. The company is not aware of any evidence that any customer, supplier or employee data has been compromised or misused as a result of the situation.