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Vilsack on steps needed following JBS cyberattack

Ag Secretary Vilsack says the food industry needs to harden its systems following the cyberattack on JBS.

“We’re going to convene the food groups to essentially make sure they understand and appreciate precisely what is required,”

Vilsack told members of the Senate Ag Appropriations subcommittee that USDA is more than happy to cooperate with any legal investigation into the JBS hack.

“And I think there’s also an issue of this whole notion of cryptocurrency which is outside of my area of expertise but one that I suspect folks in the Senate and the House need to be thinking very strongly about.”

Senator Jon Tester of Montana says he’s not surprised the food industry has been targeted.

“Concentration in the food industry, the meat industry in particular in this case, has been big concern of mine. And now that cyber criminals have figured this is a good way to screw up our economy – you control food you tend to control people – that is a problem.”

Tester says he appreciates Vilsack’s efforts at USDA to boost smaller meat processors and take on concentration and competition issues.