Ransomware Attack Strikes Media Prima

According to The Edge Financial Daily, a ransomware assault struck Media Prima Berhad on 8th November 2018. Media Prima is a company which runs numerous channels on radio and television; digital media and advertising firms; and newspapers inside Malaysia.

The main board of Bursa Malaysia lists Media Prima the operator of 4 radio stations which are Kool FM, One FM, Hot FM and Fly FM; non-chargeable TV stations namely 8TV, ntv7, TV9 and TV3; and 3 national newspapers which are Harian Metro, Berita Harian and New Straits Times. Thestar.com posted this, November 13, 2018.

To describe a ransomware it's one kind of malware created for locking computer systems and making them inaccessible to their owners who would regain the access if only they pay certain ransom amount. There's currently an increasing trend of this kind of malware attack, particularly those which demand crypto-currencies.

Nevertheless, similar as nearly all the earlier ransomware assaults, when hijacked, the computer in totality is encrypted while at the same time locked out till at last the victim pays the ransom. A ransomware assault's greatest loss is most times exposure of files and data that individual PCs hold. There's hardly an instance when a ransomware assault results in a data hack.

Media Prima attackers have reportedly asked for a 1,000 bitcoin ransom in exchange of returning the PCs' access. The bitcoin digital currency, today, values USD 6,297.21. Accordingly, the attackers' ransom amount is RM26.42 million.

Meanwhile, Datuk Kamal Khalid, Managing Director of Media Prima group refrained from giving his remarks when asked for confirmation about his company's encounter with ransomware. Instead he requested The Star for contacting the corporate communications division of Media Prima.

The report from Edge Financial Daily stated it wasn't right away known if any breach had occurred of Media Prima's data, as also if there would be any monetary loss for the group because of the ransomware assault.

Edge Financial reported that Media Prima wouldn't be paying the ransom and that merely the electronic mail systems of the company were affected, so they'd already adopted the GSuite mail of Google that operates independent of systems in the locality.

» SPAMfighter News - 11/15/2018