Reuters - U.S. TV station operator Sinclair Broadcast Group said Monday it had found some of its servers and workstations had been damaged with ransomware by disrupting offices networks.
Sinclair said it was investigating what information the ransomware affected and had notified law enforcement agencies and other governmental agencies.
Ransom Software works by stealing victims' data and can also include locking down a company's network or encrypting info. Typically hackers would offer a key in exchange for cryptocurrency payments that can run into hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
With ransomware attacks on companies becoming more frequent, President Joe Biden made cybersecurity a top priority and is currently coordinating with other countries to combat the threat.
Colonial Pipeline suffered a crippling cyberattack earlier this year that disrupted fuel supplies for almost a week, leaving thousands of miles of fuel stations without fuel in the U.S. Southeast.
Sinclair, the second largest U.S. TV station operator, said the ransomware attack could disrupt advertisements by its local broadcast stations and that the company cannot currently determine whether it will have a material impact on its business or financial results.