US: Russian threat actors likely behind JBS ransomware attack

White House has confirmed today that JBS, the world's largest beef producer, was hit by a ransomware attack over the weekend coordinated by a group likely from Russia.

While the company already issued an official statement saying that some of its North American and Australian IT systems were affected by a cyberattack on Sunday, it did not call it a ransomware attack.

JBS only hinted that a ransomware group caused the incident on Monday, stating that "the company's backup servers were not affected, and it is actively working with an Incident Response firm to restore its systems as soon as possible."

Group behind ransomware attack likely from Russia

However, today, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that Brazil-based JBS S.A. confirmed that it received a ransom demand from attackers likely from Russia.

"The White House has offered assistance to JBS and our team at the Department of Agriculture have spoken to their leadership several times in the last day," Jean-Pierre said.

"JBS notified the administration that the ransom demand came from a criminal organization likely based in Russia.

"The White House is engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals."

The White House spokeswoman also said that the FBI has started investigating the incident, and the US government has already contacted the Russian government.

The attack follows another ransomware incident that forced Colonial Pipeline to shut down the largest U.S. pipeline and pay a $5 million ransom.

JBS is the world's largest beef and poultry producer and the second-largest global pork producer, with operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

The company has 245,000 employees worldwide and an extensive portfolio of brands, including Swift, Pilgrim's Pride, Seara, Moy Park, Friboi, Primo, and Just Bare, sold to customers from 190 countries on six continents.

A company spokesperson was not available for comment when contacted by BleepingComputer.