Sinclair Broadcast Group (SBGI.O), a U.S. television station operator, said on Monday that ransomware had encrypted some of its computers and workstations, interrupting office networks.
Sinclair said it was looking into what data had been impacted by the ransomware and has alerted law police and other government organisation. Ransomware encrypts the data of its victims and can also shut down a company’s network or steal data. In most cases, hackers will give the victim a key in exchange for cryptocurrency payments in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
President Joe Biden has made cybersecurity a major priority and is cooperating with other governments to address the danger as ransomware assaults on businesses become more common.
Colonial Pipeline was hit by a severe cyberattack earlier this year, which knocked off fuel supplies for nearly a week, leaving thousands of gas stations across the Southeast without fuel.
Sinclair, the second-largest TV station operator in the United States, said the ransomware attack may disrupt commercials on its local broadcast stations, but it is too early to say whether it will have a material impact on the company’s business or financial performance.
