Cyber Incident Victim: Les Éleveurs de porcs du Québec
Date:
Oct 2023
Location:
Canada
Summary
A Quebec pork producers' association experienced a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized third-party access to certain system data, causing a major IT outage that paralyzed all operations. The attack disrupted critical systems for farmers, slaughterhouses, and transporters, suspending activities including scheduled payments to producers, which resumed after several days. The organization launched an investigation and notified individuals potentially affected by compromised confidential information while working to restore normal operations.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 2 motives | 2 techniques |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
The incident impacting Les Éleveurs de porcs du Québec began during the night of October 23-24, 2023, when unauthorized third parties compromised the association's systems, leading to a major operational disruption. The organization, responsible for managing the marketing of pork from over 2,000 Quebec producers, confirmed the cybersecurity incident resulted in the compromise of certain data within its infrastructure. By the morning of October 24, all critical systems—including those serving producers, slaughterhouses, and transporters—were rendered inoperable, forcing the suspension of all operations. This included the immediate postponement of scheduled payments to producers for delivered pigs, creating immediate financial strain. The association publicly attributed the outage to a "major IT failure" in a message to members on its website that same day, though it did not initially disclose the cyberattack’s role in the disruption.
A week after the attack, operations remained paralyzed, with producers experiencing prolonged payment delays and operational uncertainty. On November 1, the association confirmed to media that pig payments to producers had resumed that morning, signaling partial recovery, though full restoration was anticipated "in the coming days." The organization launched an internal investigation into the breach and notified individuals potentially affected by the exposure of confidential information. No specifics regarding the attack vector, data exfiltrated, or threat actor were disclosed publicly. The incident highlighted the association’s critical role in Quebec’s pork supply chain, as the prolonged outage disrupted financial flows to producers and hindered coordination with abattoirs and transporters. The association maintained limited public communication throughout the event, directing inquiries to a written statement from its spokesperson while focusing on restoring systems and mitigating impacts.