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Ransomware Victim Agriculture and Food Production

Safefood

Ransomware attack by Meow · Disclosed August 13, 2024 · 🇮🇪 Ireland

safefood.net

Date Disclosed
Aug 13, 2024
2024
Threat Group
Meow
130 total victims
Country
🇮🇪 Ireland
Industry
Agriculture and Food Production

ThreatAI Analysis

Compiled from this incident record and the threat intelligence profile for Meow. Figures and technique mappings are quoted from the source data, not inferred.

About the Meow group

Meow emerged in 2022 (resurfacing aggressively in 2024), initially operating as a RaaS using the Conti v2 codebase before transitioning to a data-extortion-only model — selling stolen data rather than encrypting files — with a heavy focus on US healthcare and medical research organizations. Meow has listed 145 victims since September 2023.

Incident Analysis

Safefood was targeted by Meow ransomware, one of the most active ransomware groups in our database with 130 confirmed victims globally. The attack was disclosed on August 13, 2024, when Safefood appeared on the group's dark web leak site.

Safefood is based in Ireland , operating in the Agriculture and Food Production sector. Ireland ranks #39 globally for ransomware attacks, with 64 victims in our database.

Sector context: Organisations in this sector hold valuable data and operational systems that ransomware groups seek to exploit for financial gain through encryption and data exfiltration.

Meow typically employs a double extortion model: first exfiltrating sensitive data from the victim's systems, then deploying ransomware to encrypt files. Victims face two simultaneous threats — paying to restore access and paying to prevent publication of stolen data. The group's leak site publishes victim names and exfiltrated data as leverage.

Data source: This incident record is sourced from public ransomware group leak site disclosures aggregated via the ransomware.live API. Disclosure date reflects when the victim was published on the leak site, which may differ from the initial date of compromise. This platform does not publish or link to stolen data. Last data update: Sep 6, 2026 02:00 UTC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Safefood attacked by ransomware?

Yes. Safefood was listed as a victim of the Meow ransomware group on August 13, 2024. The organisation is based in Ireland and operates in the Agriculture and Food Production sector. The disclosure appeared on the group's dark web leak site.

Which ransomware group attacked Safefood?

Safefood was attacked by Meow ransomware. Meow is one of the most active ransomware groups, having claimed 130 victims globally. The group typically employs a double-extortion model: encrypting the victim's files and threatening to publish stolen data.

When did the Safefood ransomware attack occur?

The ransomware attack on Safefood was disclosed on August 13, 2024. This date reflects when the victim was published on the threat group's leak site, which may differ from the actual date of initial compromise.

What data was stolen in the Safefood ransomware attack?

The specific data stolen from Safefood has not been independently verified by this platform. Ransomware groups typically exfiltrate data before encrypting systems and use the threat of publication to pressure victims. As a Agriculture and Food Production organisation, Safefood likely held sensitive business data, client information, and operational records.

How can organisations protect against Meow attacks?

To defend against Meow and similar threat actors, organisations should: maintain regular offline backups tested for restoration; implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement; deploy multi-factor authentication on all remote access; use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools; conduct regular phishing and security awareness training; and monitor threat intelligence feeds for indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with active groups.