Sinclair Broadcast Group, the parent company of dozens of news stations across the US, was hit by ransomware over the weekend.
Sinclair said News release On Monday morning hackers used ransomware to encrypt some of its key operational servers, rendering them unusable and stealing some data.
“[T]It has caused disruption to parts of the Company’s business, including some aspects of the provision of local advertising by its local broadcast stations on behalf of its customers – and may continue to be,” the release said.
The attack was first reported by Record, a media outlet owned by cyber security firm Recorded Future.
Ransomware has become an attractive tool for cybercriminals, who often remotely attack US companies and extort money from them. Most now opt to lock down victims’ computers and steal their data, threatening to leak it if they don’t pay.
Sinclair said several servers and workstations were infected with the ransomware.
Sinclair took note of the attack on Friday. Ransomware hackers often launch their attacks at the beginning of the weekend in the hope that victims will be short of staff.
Sinclair is the second native network of TV stations to be affected by ransomware this year. in June, cox media group It was also infected with ransomware, leaving many of its stations unable to access their computers or phones for several days.