Newspaper publishing giant Lee Enterprises, which was hit by a ransomware attack in February, has confirmed that the cyber attacks have led to widespread disruptions in dozens of US media outlets, and that the theft of employees' personal data.
In a letter filed with the Maine Attorney General, the company confirmed that 39,779 personal information was stolen in a cyber attack that included Social Security numbers. Data breaches primarily affect former and current employees of the company.
Lee is one of the largest newspaper publishers in the United States, providing publishing technology and web services to over 70 publications. The ransomware attacks paralyzed newspaper printing, disrupted operations at media outlets across the country for weeks, and affected payments to freelancers and contractors.
Qilin, a prolific ransomware gang known for its destructive cyberattacks, praised the violation.
A Lee spokesman did not respond to requests for comment prior to publication.