White House says Russian criminals are likely behind the cyberattack on the world's largest meat supplier, JBS USA

• The White House says Russian criminals are likely behind a cyberattack over the weekend on JBS USA.
• JBS USA says the "organized" attack affected servers in North American and Australian IT systems.
• The White House says it's "engaging with the Russian government on this matter."

The White House said Tuesday that Russian criminals were likely behind a cyberattack that hit the major meat producer JBS USA over the weekend.

"JBS notified the admin that the ransom demand came from a criminal organization likely based in Russia," White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One, according to the Bloomberg News reporter Jennifer Epstein. "The White is engaging with the Russian government on this matter and delivering the message that responsible states do not harbor ransomware criminals."

JBS USA, which is part of JBS Foods, said in a statement on Monday it was the target of an "organized cybersecurity attack, affecting some of the servers supporting its North American and Australian IT systems."

In overall sales, JBS is the largest meat-processing company, WBUR reported. In the wake of the cyberattack, roughly one-fifth of US beef capacity is gone until JBS resumes full production, according to Bloomberg News.

The meat producer's parent company, JBS S.A., is headquartered in Brazil and has been mired in several domestic corruption scandals. JBS has also faced international legal issues, with US lawmakers from both parties calling for an investigation into whether it engaged in "illicit financial activities" and had involvement with Nicolás Maduro's government in Venezuela in 2019.

Insider reported on JBS USA's political donations after a record-setting COVID-19 outbreak at its plant in Colorado, with Republican Sen. Cory Gardner of the state accepting $24,000 from the company since 2012.