Meat Shortages and Cybersecurity

Meat Shortages and Cybersecurity

Meat Shortages and Cybersecurity

You may remember a few weeks ago when America exploded with images of people flooding to gas stations in fear of an upcoming gasoline shortage. Those fears were driven by, at that time, a recent cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline - one of the largest fuel pipelines in America. Although many people don’t realize it, cybercrime and cybersecurity can lead to many trickle down consequences for our daily lives. More recently, an attack on a large beef and pork provider sparked fears of a potential upcoming meat shortage. 


Meat supply company JBS was the victim of a ransomware attack. Following the hack, many of the firm’s plants were forced to temporarily shut down, causing speculation that this may lead to an event similar to that of the gasoline crisis, in which meat supplies may be low or limited. JBS provides the majority of America’s red meat, and a quarter of Australia’s beef and pork. Although the meat processing facilities were not operating at their full capacity, experts note that it is unlikely this will lead to meat shortages. Despite this, in order to mitigate potential changes in production, meat processors across the country have been asked to try and accommodate the shift in production. 


This is one example of how disruptive and intrusive cyberattacks can be. Even one day of disruption or having a single plant closed for a short period of time can create waves of change across supply chains and subsequently in our daily lives. Retailers and beef processors have to make up for the lost time and orders which can cause drastic changes. 


It is becoming increasingly common that we see ransomware attacks on large organizations and firms like this. Although ransomware can affect people at an individual level, cyber gangs are likely to target these large groups for a bigger payout in the end. Ransomware attacks like this are only becoming more and more common in the coming years. It has been estimated that there were 65,000 successful breaches in 2020 and that around $350 million dollars in ransom payments were handed out in the last year. It is becoming more important than ever to bulk up and practice good cybersecurity, for both individuals and businesses alike.


Many of the clients we have currently initially came to us after being hit by a ransomware attack. Our team is here to help, we can give valuable insight on next steps when this does happen, and we do our best to keep your sensitive data safe.


If you are interested in learning more about how you can keep yourself safe and secure, check out our website for comprehensive plans and security options. Learn more here