As disruption from a suspected ransomware assault on newspaper publishing large Lee Enterprises span into its second month, the cyberattack can also be affecting funds to freelancers and contractors who work for the corporate, TechCrunch has realized.
The cyberattack on Lee Enterprises on February 3 sparked widescale outages and ongoing disruption at dozens of newspapers throughout america, together with delays to print editions. Lee confirmed on February 18 that the hackers “encrypted essential purposes” affecting the corporate’s operations, together with its “distribution of merchandise, billing, collections, and vendor funds.”
One contractor for a Lee-owned property, who requested to not be recognized for fears of retaliation, instructed TechCrunch that as an outdoor vendor, they nonetheless haven’t been paid for his or her work a month after the cyberattack.
The individual instructed TechCrunch that Lee Enterprises stated it was engaged on the problem, however that the individual hasn’t heard something from the corporate since mid-February. The individual, who’s owed hundreds of {dollars}, stated that the state of affairs is inflicting nervousness and uncertainty.
“Lee Enterprises and its subsidiaries work with a various community of distributors to supply providers for the corporate’s operations,” the individual stated. “This vendor community consists of each companies and particular person freelance employees who’re employed to carry out a variety of providers together with editorial content material manufacturing,” they added.
The contractor stated they don’t have any estimated timeline for once they can anticipate the seller fee system to be working once more.
Salaried workers are unaffected, TechCrunch understands, though one system that Lee Enterprises workers use to file reimbursements for his or her bills remains to be inaccessible, an individual acquainted with the matter instructed TechCrunch.
When requested about funds to distributors, freelancers, and contractors, Lee spokesperson Tracy Rouch couldn’t verify and wouldn’t remark past the company’s regulatory filing on February 18.
In keeping with that submitting, Lee stated the cyberattack was “moderately prone to have a fabric influence on the Firm’s monetary situation or outcomes of operations.”
Qilin, a prolific ransomware gang recognized for disruptive cyberattacks, has since taken credit score for the cyberattack at Lee Enterprises in a submit on its darkish internet leak web site, which it makes use of to extort victims into paying a ransom.
Rouch stated Lee Enterprises is “conscious of the claims and are at the moment investigating them.”
Carly Web page contributed reporting.
Have you learnt extra concerning the cyberattack at Lee Enterprises? Contact Zack Whittaker securely on Sign and WhatsApp at +1 646-755-8849. You can even share paperwork securely with TechCrunch by way of SecureDrop.