Sinclair Broadcast Group said it was hit by a ransomware attack over the weekend, resulting in dozens of local newscasts being canceled.
In a statement on the company website, Sinclair said it started looking into a “potential security incident” on Saturday. By Sunday, “certain servers and workstations in its environment were encrypted with ransomware, and that certain office and operational networks were disrupted. Data also was taken from the Company’s network.”
“Promptly upon detection of the security event, senior management was notified, and the company implemented its incident response plan, took measures to contain the incident and launched an investigation,” said the company.
Sinclair also said it has engaged law enforcement and “other governmental agencies” along with legal counsel, a cybersecurity forensic firm and “other incident response professionals.”
The company said it’s still in the early stages of its investigation and assessment of the attack, adding it “cannot determine at this time whether or not such event will have a material impact on its business, operations or financial results.”
The broadcast group owns, operates and or provides services to 185 television stations in 86 markets.