A Russian criminal group was likely behind a ransomware attack on a major U.S. meat supplier, the second such breach in a matter of weeks as the leaders of the countries head toward a major summit, the White House said Monday.
JBS USA announced on Sunday that servers supporting its IT systems were hit in the attack just weeks after a Russian group forced the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline, driving down gasoline availability and sending prices soaring up and down the East Coast.
President Joe Biden and other top administration officials have warned Vladimir Putin to crack down on hacker groups, and the American leader says he intends to press his Russian counterpart on the issue when they meet later this month in Geneva, Switzerland, to discuss a laundry list of differences.
The JBS attack is now on the agenda.
‘NOT ENOUGH REALITY’: BIDEN’S FIRST BUDGET HEADED DOWN DEAD END ON CAPITOL HILL
“The White House is engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message states do not harbor ransomware criminals,” White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Monday on Air Force One.
“The FBI is investigating the incident … and is coordinating with the [company] to offer technical support to the company in recovering from the ransomware attack,” she said en route to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“USDA has reached out to several major meat processors in the United States to ensure they are aware of the situation,” Jean-Pierre added. “We’re assessing any impacts on supply, and the president has directed the administration to determine what we can do to mitigate any impacts.”
Lawmakers and officials of both parties and spanning multiple administrations have raised concerns about whether the U.S.’s government and private-sector computer systems are hardened enough to withstand sophisticated cyberattacks.
The late GOP Sen. John McCain, a former Armed Services Committee chairman, often said cybersecurity was the issue about which he heard the most talk — but with the least action.
Some critics griped that neither of Biden’s sprawling infrastructure bills included large sections to bolster cybersystems.
But White House officials countered by saying it proposes federal grants that would be awarded to entities in need of a cash infusion to steel their systems.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“The company is not aware of any evidence at this time that any customer, supplier or employee data has been compromised or misused as a result of the situation,” JBS said in a statement over the weekend. “Resolution of the incident will take time, which may delay certain transactions with customers and suppliers.”
