Philadelphia Inquirer Cyberattack: Cuba Ransomware Claims Responsibility
Cuba ransomware gang was behind the cyberattack on The Philadelphia Inquirer.
In the early hours of Tuesday, the group claimed responsibility for the intrusion on Philadelphia’s leading newspaper. The attack temporarily affected its circulation along with other commercial operations.
The Inquirer stated on May 14th that it had experienced a cyberattack, which compelled its IT team to shut down computer systems in order to stop the attack’s progress. In addition, the publication hired Kroll’s forensics specialists to look into the suspicious actions.
Cuba Ransomware Attack Caused Extensive Damage
The attack caused extensive disruption to The Philadelphia Inquirer’s operations, which led to a widespread disruption for the newspaper and its readers.
As a result of the cyberattack, the firm delivered the newspaper it published on Friday on Sunday. It advised its customers to catch up on other articles via its website which the attackers did not touch.
The relevant article on the newspaper’s online portal stated that “The Enquirer print interruption is among the most major the organization encounters since a flurry of Jan. 7-8, 1996, and comes shortly from the main event for the 100th municipal election in Philadelphia.”
In the point, a media representative courteously asked for time as the investigation is ongoing and did not say if the breach was ransomware.
The ransomware group published key information from the cyberattack on their site. This included financial documents, correspondence with bank employees, account movements, balance sheets, tax documents, compensation, and source code.
It appears that the newspaper refused to pay ransom, so the extortion process failed.
More on the Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is the city’s biggest newspaper in terms of circulation. It was established in 1829 and is the third-longest continuously running daily newspaper in the United States. For its outstanding journalism, it has received 20 Pulitzer Prizes.
It claims to ask questions on behalf of the people but maintained it is a profit organization.
