The British daily The Guardian suffered a
"serious computer incident"
on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, December 21.
The management of the group suspects an attack by ransomware, a malicious program whose purpose is to obtain from the victim the payment of a ransom.
But at this stage,
“all possibilities”
remain considered.
Read alsoRansomware: the average amount of ransoms paid reaches a new record in 2021
The site, which attracted nearly 390 million visitors in November, continued to be updated throughout the day.
"Stories continue to be written and published on the Guardian's website and app
," the editorial said.
As for the paper newspaper, no major accident was reported.
"The incident affected parts of the company's technology infrastructure, with staff being asked to work from home,"
said Anna Bateson, Managing Director of Guardian Media Group, and Katharine Viner, Editor-in-Chief.
According to the specialized media
The Record
, an internal message also mentions problems affecting the VPN (
virtual private network
, a remote connection tool) of the company.
Increase in cyberattacks
For several years, ransomware attacks have been multiplying around the world, affecting the media, institutions and businesses alike.
Two weeks ago, the Versailles hospital was targeted.
The hospital structure has still not returned to its usual functioning.
In November 2020, the daily
Ouest-France
was hit by a cyberattack.
The newspaper was forced to reduce the number of paper editions.
The attack was claimed by the Egregor group, which specializes in ransomware.
