*The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation reveals it has attributed the recent JBS cyberattack to Russian ransomware gang REvil and Sodinokibi, and it is 鈥榳orking diligently鈥� to bring the cyber threat actors to justice

Gbenga Kayode | 绿帽献妻

The FBI, the United States (US) lead Federal investigative agency fighting cyber threats, and combating cybercrime, has disclosed it knows who was behind the recent cyberattack that disrupted and sidelined JBS, the world鈥檚 largest meat producer.

The agency in a statement said it had linked the threatening deed to a notorious Russian ransomware gang.

The FBI noted that it is working to stop the cyber bandits from doing any further harm in this regard.

绿帽献妻 had reported that the JBS meat processing plants shut down operations following a weekend malware attack, until it and its United States (US) subsidiary Pilgrim鈥檚 resumed plant operations only Wednesday, June 2, 2021.

The agency鈥檚 statement said: 鈥淎s the lead federal investigative agency fighting cyber threats, combating cybercrime is one of the FBI鈥檚 highest priorities.

鈥淲e have attributed the JBS attack to REvil and Sodinokibi and are working diligently to bring the threat actors to justice. A cyberattack on one is an attack on us all.鈥�

The US Federal agency indicated that REvil/Sodinokibi sits atop all other ransomware groups, with a 12.5 percent share of the ransomware market, and it鈥檚 been a busy bunch too.

In this year thus far, report said the cyber threat gang claimed that it stole unencrypted data from electronics company Acer, pilfered information from the celebrity law firm that represents Lady Gaga and Madonna, and made off with plans for upcoming Apple products.

鈥楥onsumers are safe鈥� for the moment鈥�

It is noted that when a business is hacked, its customer database is usually part of the theft. Take, for example, the attack on Marriott hotels that exposed the personal details of 500 million hotel guests.

Whereas consumers used to be easy targets for ransomware groups, a cybersecurity expert says cybercriminals, however, tend not to go after the general population as much anymore because it鈥檚 just not that lucrative to do so.

Dick O’Brien, Principal Editor at Symantec, who authored a special report on targeted ransomware, stated: 鈥淐onsumers are more trouble than they are worth,鈥�

“A lot of the consumers these days do not use computers that much, and ransomware is designed to infect Windows computers鈥攖hey are not in the firing line, as much as enterprise users.

鈥淓nterprises are鈥擨 would not say an easier target, but there are more possibilities for a compromise with them.”

It is recalled that JBS Sunday, May 30 announced that it had been the victim of hackers who seized the firms鈥� computer networks in North America and Australia respectively.

The industry analysts in the US subsequently warned stakeholders of supply chain issues and shortages in the country, if the shutdown had lasted a week or more.