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Apr. 22, 2022 by Sara Shafer, The Scoop magazine Farmers and ag cooperative employees need to be on high alert this spring. That's according to the FBI, which is predicting cyber criminals might attack the industry during planting and harvesting seasons. To read the FBI warning report click here. Why? Cyber criminals believe their prey could be more vulnerable and willing to pay off the extortion. Since 2021, FBI reports multiple agricultural cooperatives have been impacted by a variety of ransomware variants: *In March 2022, a multi-state grain company suffered a Lockbit 2.0 ransomware attack. In addition to grain processing, the company provides seed, fertilizer, and logistics services, which are critical during the spring planting season. *In February 2022, a company providing feed milling and other agricultural services reported two instances in which an unauthorized actor gained access to some of its systems and may have attempted to initiate a ransomware attack. The attempts were detected and stopped before encryption occurred. *Between Sept. 15 and Oct. 6, 2021, six grain cooperatives experienced ransomware attacks. A variety of ransomware variants were used, including Conti, BlackMatter, Suncrypt, Sodinokibi, and BlackByte. Some targeted entities had to completely halt production while others lost administrative functions. *In July 2021, a business management software company found malicious activity on its network, which was later identified as HelloKitty/Five Hands ransomware. The threat actor demanded a $30 million ransom. The ransomware attack on the company led to secondary ransomware infections on a number of its clients, which included several agricultural cooperatives. These attacks resulted in service issues, production disruptions and loss of access to administrative functions. To read the entire article click here. Tweet |
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