The Guardian Media Group in the United Kingdom has acknowledged that they were the victim of a ransomware attack in December, that consisted of an “extremely sophisticated computer hackers involving unauthorized party access” to components of the paper’s network.
A ransomware attack is an attempt of keyloggers that occurs when the attacker takes charge of the public cloud, directories, or entire device until a ‘ransom’ fee is paid. Ransomware take advantage of existing security flaws by infecting a network or computer with a phishing campaign or fake websites.
In December 2022, The Caregiver said it was “hit by a significant IT altercation” that “negatively affected pieces of the industry’s cloud computing”.
The Guardian Media Group’s editor-in-chief Katharine Viner and CEO Anna Bateson acknowledged the virus outbreak was the direct consequence of a “phishing” attempt. Phishing is a methodology used by cybercriminals to deceive people into exploiting vulnerabilities via email or malicious links.
In accordance with the news publication, no personally identifiable information about audience or subscriber base was made available. Personally identifiable information of UK employees was undermined, however there was “no indication of information being subjected internet,” based on the company.
The Guardian is starting to work between outside professionals to reestablish its systems. It indicated that it intends safety components to be up eventually “within the next two weeks”. Until that day, staff members have already been commanded to work from their homes with a return to the office expected to take place February.
HOW TO PROTECT PEOPLE FROM RANSOMEWARE ATTACK:
- Most ransomware attacks the system by extracting software or operations and maintenance system vulnerabilities. As a result, it is constantly advised to keep all of your application areas and operating system up to date. Updating the version of windows not only knows how to fix weak spots, but also reinstalling the most security related interpretations and security updates.
- Always get your games and applications from reputable sources. Untrustworthy sources, such as torrents, are the most common entry point for malicious programs such as Crypto locker. Avoid visiting infected websites in the hope of getting paid software for nothing.
