• EFFECTS: The hacking incident against Mexico’s Ministry of Economy servers is already affecting the Mexican tomato industry, forcing them to complete cumbersome paperwork just at the peak of tomato export season. The total value of US tomato imports from Mexico is USD 2 billion.
• DELAYS: “Hopefully, the system will be restored to normal soon. Because right now we are sending lots of tomatoes. This hacking could mean delays in (shipping) permits by the Ministry of Economy”, said Alfredo Díaz, head of Mexico’s protected agriculture association (AMHPAC).
• ATTACK: Earlier this week, the Ministry of Economy reported they have detected a cyber-attack against some of their services, causing the slowdown of some administrative procedures. Government sources say that the hackers demanded 4,000 bitcoins as ransom, the equivalent of USD 38 million.
• CONTEXT: The hacking incident comes at an already difficult time for Mexican tomato growers who are trying to adapt to the new export requirements to the US market, including a provision that stipulates 92% of Mexico’s tomato production be subject to border inspections by April.
