Newfoundland television station hit by ransomware attack, data breach

The company behind a popular independent television station in Newfoundland and Labrador says it was hit by a cyberattack.

The Newfoundland Broadcasting Company Limited says the attack has not hampered on-air operations at NTV nor at its radio station, OZFM.

A company statement says it has confirmed that the perpetrators accessed parts of its systems and are now threatening to post data belonging to the company online.

The Play ransomware group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and its site on the dark web says it stole private data including budget and payroll information and client documents from NTV.

The group's frequently asked questions page says that it typically encrypts data belonging to its victims so they can no longer access it, and that it will only release it and delete its copies of the stolen information if it receives a payment.

Brett Callow, a cybersecurity analyst in British Columbia, says the company should take Play's threats seriously, but that it should not give the group any money unless it has no other option to restore its data.

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