# Multiple major US newspapers hit by cyberattack

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-major-us-newspapers-hit-by-cyberattack/826946>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [December 30, 2018, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-major-us-newspapers-hit-by-cyberattack/826946 "2018-12-30T22:57:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2018, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-major-us-newspapers-hit-by-cyberattack/826946/1 "2018-12-30T22:57:33Z")

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My local newspaper does not appear to have been affected by this, the origin of which I last heard has not been located, but it’s affecting millions of people.

> **[Cyberattack Hits U.S. Newspapers, Delaying Printing and Deliveries](https://gizmodo.com/cyberattack-hits-u-s-newspapers-delaying-printing-and-1831388706)**
>
> A cyberattack affected newspapers across the country and delayed the Saturday editions of several prominent publications, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

Do any of you subscribe to dead-tree newspapers, and were you affected by this.

Makes me wonder who and what is next. :mad:

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**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2018, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-major-us-newspapers-hit-by-cyberattack/826946/2 "2018-12-30T23:29:33Z")

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It’s obviously the work of the GDPR Liberation Army.

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**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2018, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-major-us-newspapers-hit-by-cyberattack/826946/3 "2018-12-30T23:59:02Z")

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> [@BlankSlate](#):
>
> …

Apparently there are contingency plans to use _all available blank physical media_ to write down the news.

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**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2018, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/multiple-major-us-newspapers-hit-by-cyberattack/826946/4 "2018-12-31T00:06:01Z")

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Early reports are that it was a type of ransomware. Apparently it hit an LA Times printing facility, which disrupted other papers that shared that production facility. Anonymous reports say that it was the Ryuk malware, which is typically used by a criminal group that targets organizations that are very sensitive to downtime. Bring the printing press to a halt and demand money to restore service. Not a bad trick.

There’s no solid evidence yet that this was a state sponsored attack, or politically motivated. My money is on plain old crooks, until more information comes out.

> **[Ransomware suspected in cyberattack that crippled major US newspapers](https://www.zdnet.com/article/ransomware-suspected-in-cyberattack-that-crippled-major-us-newspapers/)**
>
> Source inside Tribune Publishing says printing outage caused by Ryuk ransomware infection.