Lee Enterprises Blames Cyberattack for Ongoing US Newspaper Outages and Encrypted Systems
Lee Enterprises, a prominent name in the newspaper publishing industry, is currently facing significant challenges due to an ongoing cyberattack that has resulted in widespread disruptions across its operations. This incident, now entering its third week, has raised concerns about potential data breaches and operational inefficiencies.
Details of the Cyberattack on Lee Enterprises
In a recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Lee Enterprises disclosed that it is undertaking a forensic analysis to ascertain whether any sensitive or personal data has been compromised in the ongoing cyber incident.
Nature of the Attack
According to Lee’s statement, preliminary investigations suggest that:
- Threat actors unlawfully accessed the company’s network.
- Critical applications were encrypted.
- Certain files were exfiltrated as part of a ransomware attack.
Operational Impact and Recovery Plans
Lee Enterprises anticipates that the outages will persist for several more weeks as efforts to restore affected systems continue. The company has taken the necessary step of notifying law enforcement about the incident.
The cyberattack has severely impacted various aspects of the company’s operations, including:
- Distribution of print publications
- Billing and collections
- Vendor payments
As a result, many of Lee’s publications, such as the Winston-Salem Journal in North Carolina, have reported significant delays in their printing operations. Additionally, newspapers like the Albany Democrat-Herald and the Corvallis Gazette-Times in Oregon have faced similar disruptions.
Current Status of Lee Enterprises
As of now, several Lee-owned publications are displaying messages indicating that they are “currently undergoing maintenance on some services,” which may temporarily affect access to subscription accounts and the E-edition.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation has been keeping a running list of the affected outlets, highlighting the extensive reach of this disruption.
Potential Financial Impact
Lee Enterprises has indicated that the incident is “reasonably likely” to have a material impact on its financial results, underscoring the seriousness of the situation.
If you have additional information regarding the cyberattack at Lee Enterprises, you can reach out to Zack Whittaker securely via Signal and WhatsApp at +1 646-755-8849. Documents can also be shared securely with TechCrunch via SecureDrop.
