Newspaper Giant Lee Enterprises Reels From Cyberattack

On Friday, Feb. 3, Lee Enterprises, one of the largest newspaper groups in the US, with newspapers in 72 markets, filed a report with the SEC detailing a cyberattack that impacted its operations after causing an outage.

Lee Enterprises is a public publishing company that also offers online services and special publications. Some of the newspapers include The Buffalo News, Omaha World-Herald, and Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The company is still investigating the data breach incident and determining the potential impact on its operations. It has not yet identified "any impact that is material," but that could change as the investigation continues.

"These types of investigations are complex and time-consuming, with many taking several weeks or longer to complete," said a Lee Enterprises spokesperson. "We have notified law enforcement of the situation."

It's unclear what kind of cyberattack hit the newspaper company, who the threat actors are, and if any data was stolen; however, some of the Lee Enterprises newsrooms reported the cyberattack forced the company to shut down networks, which led to disruptions in newspaper printing and delivery.

"Although it isn't officially announced, the symptoms of this attack have all of the signs of a significant ransomware event," said Erich Kron, security awareness advocate at KnowBe4, in an emailed statement to Dark Reading. "Ransomware groups love to target organizations that are time sensitive, and media outlets absolutely fit that description, especially ones that produce a physical product.

As of now, multiple publication websites contain notices reading: "We are currently undergoing maintenance on some services, which may temporarily affect access to subscription accounts and the E-edition. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work to resolve the issues."