The JBS cyberattack is sending shockwaves across the nation, and calls to reform the cattle industry are growing louder.
Arkansas congressman Rick Crawford says that the attack highlights a bigger issue. He says, “Cyber security is synonymous with national security, and so is food security. Soon, a bipartisan effort to further secure our food and cyber security must take shape.”
Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado has been in touch with JBS. He says, “These breaches are serious and have the potential to threaten our country’s supply chain and our economic security. The scope and scale of recent breaches have proven the public and private sector alike need to better protect critical networks, and that we need to find a way to come together to better detect and respond to cyber attacks.”
Here are some numbers to put the severity of the attack into perspective:
America’s five biggest JBS beef plants handle more than 22,000 cattle a day
They control 20 percent of the slaughtering capacity for U.S. cattle and hog
All U.S. plants were shut down Tuesday, and most are back online today
- It is not clear if JBS paid a ransom to make that happen
Lawmakers who say the major packers monopolize the industry, say that this is just one more reason to make reform a priority.
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