One-Fifth of U.S. Beef Capacity Wiped Out by JBS Cyberattack

[superpatriotman]

A cyberattack on JBS SA, the largest meat producer globally, has forced the shutdown of some of world’s largest slaughterhouses, and there are signs that the closures are spreading.

JBS’s five biggest beef plants in the U.S. -- which altogether handle 22,500 cattle a day -- have halted processing following a weekend attack on the company’s computer networks, according to JBS posts on Facebook, labor unions and employees. Those outages alone have wiped out nearly a fifth of America’s production. Slaughter operations across Australia were also down, according to a trade group. One of Canada’s largest beef plants was idled for a second day.

Any substantial disruption in meat processing would further stoke mounting political concerns about the concentration of the meat industry and complaints of the four giant companies that control more than 80% of U.S. beef processing unfairly leverage their power over farmers and consumers.

more at link

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-31/meat-is-latest-cyber-victim-as-hackers-hit-top-supplier-jbs?srnd=premium

[Act_of_Reparation]

1. Where's the beef?

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

[lagomorph777]

2. Holy cow.

Udderly ridiculous that we are so vulnerable to these oligopolies and cyber crooks.

[hlthe2b]

3. Well, good thing I spent the last year getting used to 65% Lacto-Ovo Vegetarianism

I certainly can not say I do not miss some beef or pork on occasion, but I've gotten pretty good with beans and other alternatives. I do eat turkey and fish every now and then, though

This is going to be painful for many, though.

[jmbar2]

4. Has anyone heard from Devin's Cow?

Did he make it out?

[DFW]

5. There is vulnerability almost everywhere

It's just that so many people think they couldn't possibly be worth the effort. Well, yes, they are.

What happens when next time, it's not meat, but water?

[Hortensis]

7. This! Of course, threat to the food supply should be taken seriously.

This will be like a stone thrown in a pond from a pile of rocks. Ripples from this one alone will affect more than just the price of steak.

[DFW]

11. I sure as hell hope so!

Can you imagine if the clean water supply to a city like New York, Los Angeles or Chicago were seriously disrupted?

Of course, that would be a massive escalation, essentially a declaration of war, and I don't think Putin is ready to let his people go that far. The trail for that one would be the object of the most massive cyber search the CIA, DEA, NSA and the conscripted services of Apple and Microsoft could mount, and my bet is that the identity of the responsible party would be known within hours. Savushkina Street 55 as well as GRU Directorates 26165 and 74455 would be sawdust by that evening, and then the fun would really begin. The point of no return would have already been reached the moment Putin said to shut the water off. I'm pretty sure he knows it, too. I don't think he'd do it unless he was in dire fear of being overthrown by his own people, and that doesn't appear to be the case.

[Hortensis]

14. Yes. We used to live in Los Angeles, and severe disruption of the

water supply and/or power in the summer seemed an obvious huge, existential threat to me 50 years ago. Most of the year there are no streams for almost anyone to be able to carry a bucket to, all year for millions. No water.

And now many millions live across the desert SW where heat kills, in homes built like ovens on mostly unshaded lots to seal AC in.

I feel sure you're right that this has been another cold war type standoff for some years. But with different possible costs and outcomes...

[Liberal In Texas]

16. I worry that the power grid could be next.

After going trough the polar vortex in February with days long outages only rolling outages in the best cases, this could literally bring the entire country to a halt.

We really need a cyber warfare department. Much more necessary than Space Force.

[Bayard]

6. Enjoying a turkey burger now for lunch

Has the Biden admin reinstated former meat inspection levels?

[Doodley]

8. Gross! Glad to be a veggie.

[jalan48]

9. Bummer for the meat eaters.

[GoCubsGo]

10. Good. Now's the time to rethink this "factory farming" thing.

It's cruel, not just to the animals, but also to the people working at these plants.

[Delphinus]

13. You said it! (n/t)

[berniesandersmittens]

25. +1 nt

[alittlelark]

12. This may be the only cyber attack I have no problem with -

Factory meat farming is a true HORROR.

[MiniMe]

15. I live in farming country. I got a side of beef last year when there was a bit of a meat shortage

And I ordered another side this year. It is actually very good. The meat is 100% grass fed beef, and "Stanley" has been delicious. But it is nice not to have to worry about meat shortages.

And the place I buy the side from is several miles from me, and not a farm factory.

[maxsolomon]

18. but you have to worry about ELECTRICITY outage.

Those chest freezers need juice!

[MiniMe]

21. Have a generator

It has gone on rarely.

[maxsolomon]

22. Then you have to worry about FUEL.

it never stops...

[MiniMe]

23. True, but I don't have to worry about meat going bad

I bought the generator about 5 years ago, and I haven't had to refill the propane tanks yet. I'm very lucky, I can afford to refill the propane tanks.

[msongs]

17. good thing humans haave ZERO need to eat cows nt

[roamer65]

19. Eat more chikin.

[Klaralven]

20. All of JBS's U.S. Beef Plants Were Forced Shut by Cyberattack

JBS is the No. 1 beef producer in the U.S., accounting for 23% of the nation’s maximum capacity compared to rival Tyson Foods Inc.’s 22% share, according to an investor report by Tyson. JBS accounts for roughly a fifth of pork capacity.

JBS closed beef processing facilities in Utah, Texas, Wisconsin and Nebraska and canceled shifts at plants in Iowa and Colorado on Tuesday, according to union officials and employees. In Canada, an Alberta processing plant was expected to resume operations this afternoon after being idled since Monday, a union spokesman said.

Pork and chicken facilities including one in Minnesota were also closed by the owner of Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., the second-biggest U.S. chicken producer, said union officials and employees. At least five of the six U.S. pork facilities were cutting back operations Tuesday, according to Facebook posts from those plants.

William Callicott, president of the Mid-Atlantic Council of Food Inspection Locals, AFGE, said at least two Pilgrim’s Pride poultry plants in Chattanooga, Tennessee, were closed due to the cyberattack.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/meat-latest-cyber-victim-hackers-214130697.html

[Ron Green]

24. Fragile, centralized top-down systems of all types are vulnerable, and rightly so.

If our country doesn’t start to understand the need to (re)build resilient networks of locally produced goods and services of ALL kinds, not tied to cyberspace and controlled by the “financial services industry,” we deserve the misery we’ve been creating.

[eShirl]

26. wiped out? or just paused temporarily?