The US agricultural machinery manufacturer AGCO, based in Georgia, suffered a ransomware attack on Friday. According to dealers, the attack has brought the production and sale of tractors to a standstill.
AGCO did not disclose the names of the affected plants or whether any data was stolen during the attack. The company said investigations are ongoing, but it expects production at some plants to be affected for “several days and possibly longer.”
B & G Equipment’s president and owner, Rim Brannon, said he had been unable to access AGCO’s website to order and look up parts since Thursday morning.
“We just have to trust that it will be as over soon as possible because we are coming into our busiest time of the year and it will be very damaging to our business and customers,” Brannon said.
AGCO trades in the sale of tractors and combines. The company manufactures and assembles products at 42 locations worldwide with 1,810 dealers in North America.
Before Thursday’s attack, the company, like other U.S. agricultural equipment manufacturers, had struggled to cope with supply chain disruptions and labor strikes that made it impossible for them to meet farmers demand for equipment.
The sources for this piece include an article in Reuters.