Moscow-based meat production and distribution company Miratorg Agribusiness Holding suffered a major cyberattack that encrypted its IT systems, according to a report by Rosselkhoznadzor – the Russian federal service for veterinary and phytosanitary supervision.
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The announcement notes that the attackers used Windows BitLocker to encrypt files, essentially performing a ransomware attack.
According to the agency, the reason behind the attack appears to be sabotage and not financial, as Miratorg is one of Russia's largest food suppliers.
The point of the breach was VetIS, a government information system used by veterinary services and companies operating in the sector, making it a potential compromise in the supply chain, although more clarification is needed on this.
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The incident has affected the following companies, all subsidiaries of Miratorg Holding:
· FATEZHSKY YAGNYATINA
· BRYANSKY BROILER
· MIRATORG-KURSK
· BRYANSKAYA MEAT COMPANY
· KURASOVSKY SWINE COMPLEX
· PRODMIR
· KOROČA PIG COMPLEX
· TRIO INVEST
· BELGO GEN
· AGROFIRM "BLAGODATENSKAYA"
· MIRATORG ZAPAD
· TRADING COMPANY "MIRATORG"
· SAFONOVSKII SWINE COMPLEX
· PRISTENSKIY PIG COMPLEX
· MIRATORG-BELGOROD
· REMIND
· KALININGRAD MEAT COMPANY
· KALINOVSKII SWINE COMPLEX
Miratorg also released a statement saying it is already working to eliminate the consequences and restore normal operations of its business. The company promised that the attack will not affect its shipments to Russian citizens, indicating a limited impact on delivery operations.
To reduce the impact of the cyberattack, the federal agency will assist Miratorg and its subsidiaries in transporting goods by temporarily lifting strict documentation requirements for product movement.
In addition, it will accept handwritten certificates and provide access to the federal platform (Mercury) for issuing official documents where needed.
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To ease customers' concerns about food safety during these critical times, Rosselkhoznadzor emphasizes that Miratorg has a history of good reputation, so this exception is made with this in mind.
Information source: bleepingcomputer.com
