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Tyson Foods, one of the world’s most prominent meat processing companies, has become the latest victim of the notorious Snatch ransomware gang.
Based on reports, the Snatch ransomware group claimed responsibility for the cyberattack after adding the company to its victim list on its website. This notorious threat group allegedly utilised a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) distribution model to exploit victims through Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) vulnerabilities.
The affected entity is a multinational industry giant with revenues exceeding $53 billion last year. In addition, Tyson Foods is a crucial supplier for various fast-food chains, such as KFC, Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s.
Hence, the ransomware attack could impact the supply chain and potentially compromise sensitive information, including the company’s plans within the industry.
The Snatch ransomware group hinted that they harvested information, such as future strategies, on the Tyson Foods database.
The Snatch ransomware group refrained from revealing the true scope of the accessed information in the Tyson Foods database. They teased on their Telegram channel that they acquired information about the company’s future business plans.
However, the absence of data samples has sparked doubts among the company and relevant individuals. Also, the attackers could have only obtained minor system information since they refused to publish a piece of substantial evidence that could threaten the company.
This incident comes after a similar attack on JBS, another meat processing company, by the now-defunct REvil ransomware group. Unfortunately, JBS complied with the ransomware demands and paid $11 million to prevent prolonged operational disruption.
The meat-producing and processing industry has attracted numerous threat actors for years since it became a lucrative target for cybercriminals. Furthermore, their critical role in the global food supply chain has allowed these attackers to extort and force them to pay ransom immediately to avoid downtime.
As of now, additional details about the attack could be limited since the Snatch ransomware group’s strategy focuses on its victims. This cybercriminal gang prioritises negotiations and maintains a strict code of discreetness regarding the vulnerabilities they exploited during the attack to breach their victims’ networks.
As Tyson Foods addresses this attack, the meat industry should also be vigilant with its networks. Other threat actors could plan to execute malicious attacks that could compromise other companies.
