"Ransomware Attack Hits Production Facilities of Agricultural Equipment Giant AGCO"
Agricultural equipment giant AGCO stated that its business operations have been impacted after falling victim to a ransomware attack last week. AGCO designs, makes, and distributes agricultural machinery and precision technology, offering equipment under brands such as Challenger, Fendt, Massey Ferguson, and Valtra. The ransomware attack impacted some of the company's production facilities. AGCO says it has launched an investigation into the incident and estimates that it might need at least several days before it can restore all operations to normal. The company noted that the recovery process involves reinstalling software and restoring IT operations at the affected facilities. The attack comes a few weeks after the FBI warned of ransomware attacks targeting the agriculture industry in the United States. BackBox vice president of product management Craig McDonald stated that the attack might ultimately have an impact on the supply chain of agricultural equipment production as a whole. To mitigate the impact of ransomware attacks, organizations are advised to implement proper backup and recovery plans that include complete inventory of all assets, setting up individual responsibilities, and implementing alternative communication methods.