Cyberattack impacts JBS Ottumwa operations

Jun. 2—OTTUMWA — Operations continued a return to normal at facilities for the world's largest meat processing company, including its operations in Ottumwa.

A ransomware cyberattack caused disruptions of JBS in North America and Australia. The company said backups weren't impacted and it was working to restore services.

By late Tuesday, the company said it had made major progress since the attack began Tuesday.

Technical issues related to the attack impacted operations at every JBS facility, though by Wednesday shifts were returning to work at the local facility in Ottumwa.

First and second shifts in the harvest and bacon slicing departments in Ottumwa were canceled on Tuesday, according to a company Facebook page.

Shift disruptions in those departments continued on Wednesday, according to the same Facebook page.

A spokesperson with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union that represents JBS workers in America said the Ottumwa pork facility was still considered operational on Tuesday.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union represents more than 25,000 meatpacking workers at JBS facilities in Iowa and nationwide. About 2,100 employees work on the JBS campus in Ottumwa.

White House officials said Tuesday, citing information they obtained from JBS, that a criminal organization based in Russia is likely behind the ransom demand.

"The White House is engaging directly with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals," Karine Jean-Pierre told media in Tulsa. Jean-Pierre is the principal deputy press secretary for the White House.

The attack on JBS comes weeks after a similar attack on the Colonial pipeline, which caused fuel supply issues in the east coast of the United States due to service disruptions. President Joe Biden said the U.S. government doesn't think Russia was behind that attack, but that there is "strong reason to believe that the criminals who did the attack are living in Russia."

The Department of Agriculture said in a statement Tuesday that it's working with JBS to mitigate price or supply issues as a result of the company's disruptions.

Union officials told the Courier on Tuesday that the cyberattack forced closure of all JBS beef plants in the U.S. None of JBS' beef plants are in Iowa.

Kyle Ocker is the editor of the Ottumwa Courier and the Oskaloosa Herald. He can be reached at kocker@ottumwacourier.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kyle_Ocker.