FBI Focuses on REvil Cybercriminals

FBI Focuses on REvil Cybercriminals

We have heard and felt the effects of ransomware cyberattacks more recently than ever before. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has focused on a Russian-based group called REvil (pronounced as R’evil) for the most recent cyberattack on JBS, the world’s largest meat processing company, in early June. The cyberattack shut down JBS operations in the U.S., Canada, and Australia.

With more than 150 plants in 15 countries, JBS employs 150,000 workers worldwide. In the U.S. alone, JBS processes about one-quarter of the country’s beef and one-fifth of its pork. The cyberattack affected some of its servers supporting IT systems in the U.S. and Australia, which disrupted production on both continents.

REvil, also known as Sodin and Sodinokibi, is a highly ambitious and active cybercriminal group that was first recognized in April 2019. This group has become known for attempting to extort large payments from corporate victims by executing Ransomware-as-a-service (RAAS).

Promoted as the best choice for attacking business networks on underground cybercrime forums, this group steals data from computers and networks before they are encrypted. If ransom demands are not met, REvil threatens to auction off the victims’ stolen data on its website called “Happy Blog”.

The FBI stated in a press release that they will continue their efforts to hold these cybercriminals accountable for the attack and they are working with private cybersecurity partners to bring REvil to justice. “Our private sector partnerships are essential to responding quickly when a cyber intrusion occurs and providing support to victims affected by our cyber adversaries,” as continued in the release. “A cyberattack on one is an attack on us all.”

How Can Your Company Prevent Cyberattacks?

As cybercriminals increase their ambitious efforts it is imperative that every organization, large and small, “beef-up” their cybersecurity practices. It’s important for you to constantly back up your data and keep at least one back up off-site. Make sure everyone on your staff uses long unique passwords that are difficult to crack. Educate and inform staff about risks and methods used by cybercriminals. But most importantly, work with your managed IT partners to protect your data with the latest patches, to run risk assessments, and to implement cybersecurity solutions that will work for your organization.

Schilling IT is ranked as one of the top cybersecurity consulting firms in Indiana. We offer customer support 24/7, reliable cybersecurity services, reduced operating costs, and peace of mind. Call us today at (219) 359-3101 or send us a message to ask@schillingit.com.