The JBS USA Ransom Attack

JBS USA one of the largest meat processing companies in the world with well-established meat supply chains not only in Europe but also in China and Africa was attacked by a group of hackers who were identified to have come from Russia (News, 2021). The group of hackers demanded eleven million US dollars to restore the JBS system. The cyber-attack which forced the company to shut down its operations in USA and Canada affected the meat supply in large parts that heavily relied on it.

Even though details on which system components were compromised by the hackers to obtain a vulnerability gateway, network attacks have become prevalent against large organizations. from the report, it was said that after the attack happened, the company shut its system and activated system security controls protocols. This could be understood that the company had its operations running without proper security controls in place jeopardizing itself.

Not only having a third-generation firewall and intrusion prevention system but also having cyber security experts who often scan the system and patch bugs whenever found. Many companies hardly conduct penetration testing against their systems which leaves them vulnerable unknowingly. luckily enough the company did not pay the demanded amount but that forced them to shut down their system for some hours. That in turn disrupted the meat supply translating to huge losses however, they could not be equivalent to the demanded amount.

It can be said that the board made a brilliant decision of declining to pay the money. First off, paying the money would be a way of encouraging hacking which is a prohibited activity. Secondly, deducting such an amount could even place the company in jeopardy of liquidation on bases of bankruptcy. Therefore, the decision can be said to be ethical. - Charkeria 

References

News, B. (2021, June 10). Meat giant JBS pays $11m in ransom to resolve cyber-attack. BBC News; BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-57423008