Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

US Broadcasts Interrupted as Cox Media Group Reportedly Hacked in Ransomware Attack

US Broadcasts Interrupted as Cox Media Group Reportedly Hacked in Ransomware Attack

Christopher Wray, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), asserted in a recent interview that he sees "a lot of parallels" between a recent string of ransomware attacks and the challenges posed by the terror attacks on September 11, 2001. Ransomware is a type of malware that utilizes encryption to hold the victim's data at ransom.

Cox Media Group, manager of radio and television stations in more than 20 markets in the US, has fallen victim to a ransomware attack that disrupted media streams across the country, according to several tech reports.

"This morning we were told to shut down everything and log out our emails to ensure nothing spread," an employee for the US media conglomerate told The Record on Thursday. "According to my friends at affiliate stations, we shut things down in time to be safe and should be back up and running soon."

However, not all stations are back to business.

WFTV in Orlando, Florida, and WPXI in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - both owned by Cox Media Group - remain limited in what they can do.

"We are only able to communicate with each other over personal phones and text messages," an unnamed WFTV employee told NBC News.

Employees at both stations were reportedly instructed to shut down their company computers and phones for the time being.

"Since then we've been locked out," a WPXI employee claimed, referring to access to the company server and email. "It's pretty crippling at the moment."

Cox Media Group has yet to issue a statement on the matter.

The alleged ransomware attack comes days after a ransomware attack triggered the temporary closure of all JBS SA beef plants in the US. The Brazil-based company is the largest meat processing company in the world.

A general view of the JBS USA Worthington pork plant in Minnesota, U.S., October 28, 2020


Earlier this week, FBI Director Wray told the Wall Street Journal that his intelligence agency is presently probing some 100 different ransomware incidents. Between a dozen and 100 organizations were reportedly targeted in the attacks.

Wray went on to tell the outlet that combating cyberattacks comes as a "shared responsibility" of private citizens, government agencies and the private sector.

"Time and time again, a huge portion of those traced back to actors in Russia," he claimed. "And so, if the Russian government wants to show that it’s serious about this issue, there’s a lot of room for them to demonstrate some real progress that we’re not seeing right now."

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has panned the FBI Director's comments as possibly "emotionally charged."

Peskov also highlighted that hackers and other cyber criminals exist across the globe.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×