The print editions of the Albany Democrat-Herald and Corvallis Gazette-Times were interrupted last week by a cyberattack that was launched early this month against the parent business of those two publications.
Lee Enterprises, which operates hundreds of newspapers throughout 24 states, is the owner of both. Many of their operations were affected by the cyberattack on February 3.
According to the publications, Lee’s two Oregon newspapers were unable to print their Tuesday and Thursday editions until late Saturday evening last week. On Sunday, they printed their Saturday paper, and on Monday, they distributed it.
Regional Editor Penny Rosenberg expressed regret for the inconvenience this has brought to Mid-Valley Media’s print editions and thanked readers for their patience. According to the papers, their websites remained up and running.
Lee stated last week in a regulatory statement that it did not think the incident had a major effect on the company’s financials. However, Lee stated that it was still assessing the damage.
Cyberattacks are becoming more frequent. Hackers usually compromise a company’s computer systems and restrict operations unless they are paid a ransom. They are usually active in foreign nations that are out of the jurisdiction of U.S. law enforcement.
Lee did not specify whether the cybercriminals requested a ransom, but it did state that it had informed legal enforcement.
In an email to staff, Lee CEO Kevin Mowbray stated, “We are now focused on determining what information, if any, may have been affected by the situation.” Our goal is to finish this study as fast as completely as we can.
–Mike Rogoway writes on the business and technology in Oregon. His email address is [email protected].
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