Norwegian media company Amedia suffered a cyberattack that shut down its computer systems, preventing it from printing newspapers.
According to the company, the incident also affected its advertising and subscription systems, preventing advertisers from ordering new ads and subscribers from signing up or canceling their subscriptions.
Amedia’s executive vice president of technology, Pål Nedregotten, said the incident forced him to shut down systems administered by Amedia Teknologi. Nedregotten admitted they were still analyzing the incident with the aim of preventing any potential damage. Although online newspapers are still available, it was unclear when the company would resume circulation of printed newspapers.
Amedia owns more than 90 publications, Avisenes Nyhetsbyrå media and Prime Print publishing in Russia. With a national readership of approximately 2.5 million people, Amedia is one of the most popular media companies in the region.
A cyberattack on a Norwegian media company potentially leaked personal information
The media company was still analyzing the nature and scope of the cyberattack and has not yet determined whether it was a ransomware attack.
According to the company declaration published on its website, Amedia could not rule out that the personal information of subscribers and employees had not been compromised. Personal data stored on the compromised system and potentially exposed includes customer names, addresses, phone numbers, and subscription history.
However, the media company promised to notify all affected parties and also to file a data breach notification with the Data Inspectorate.
“Amedia is now working on the basis that customer data may be compromised. If personal information has gone astray, the persons concerned will be informed as soon as possible. This will apply to both customers and employees,” the statement read.
Fortunately, the media company confirmed that sensitive data points such as passwords, playback history, and financial information were not accessed during the incident.
Cyberattack investigation underway
The Norwegian media company said it deployed all its resources to determine the extent of the cyberattack and restore its operations. In addition, he had informed law enforcement authorities of the incident.
“So far, we have to note that the problems we are currently experiencing are serious,” Nedregotten said. “We take the situation very seriously. Data security is a priority area for us. The case will be reported to the police and followed up in accordance with the security requirements to which we will submit.
The identity of the hacking group responsible for the cyberattack remains unknown and the media company has directed all further questions to the police. Norwegian authorities have in the past attributed these cyberattacks to state-affiliated hackers working with the Chinese and Russian governments.
The incident was the third large-scale cyberattack to hit businesses in Norway. On December 21, food giant Nortura announced that it had shut down computer systems at several factories and was focusing on minimizing damage after detecting a cyberattack.
Similarly, the Norwegian Parliament suffered a large-scale cyberattack in March 2021 that compromised the emails of government officials.
Amedia is not the only medium targeted by cybercriminals. In June 2021, three television stations owned by Cox Media, WFTV in Orlando, WSOC in Charlotte, and WPXI in Pittsburgh, shut down their computer systems after suffering a suspected ransomware attack.
