Crystal Valley Co-op is Latest to be Hit with Ransomware

Minnesota-based farm supply and grain marketing cooperative Crystal Valley has become the latest agriculture business hit with a ransomware attack. The company released a statement on its website Tuesday afternoon, but the website is currently down as of Wednesday.

On Facebook, Crystal Valley Cooperative confirmed that it had been hit with a ransomware attack on Sunday, September 19.

“The attack has infected our computer systems and interrupted the daily operations of our company. Due to this computer breach, all systems of the Mankato-based cooperative have been shut down until they can be restored safely and securely,” the company said.

“Due to this, we are unable to accept Visa, Mastercard, and Discover cards at our cardtrols until further notice. Local cards do work. As we continue to navigate through this with the help of experts, we appreciate your patience and understanding. We will continue to update with information as it becomes available.”

In messages to ZDNet, a spokesperson for the company confirmed that their phone system is also down.

Based in Mankato, Minnesota, Crystal Valley Cooperative is a local full-service agricultural cooperative focused on helping crop farmers and livestock producers in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa.