Lee Enterprises, one of the largest newspaper publishers in the United States, is grappling with the fallout of a cyberattack that has severely disrupted its operations for nearly three weeks. The company confirmed in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing that the attack involved unauthorized access to its network, encryption of critical applications, and data exfiltration—hallmarks of a ransomware incident.
Widespread Disruptions
The cyberattack has affected multiple aspects of Lee’s business, including print distribution, online services, billing, collections, and vendor payments. Several of its 72 publications across the country have experienced printing delays, with some missing entire editions. Publications like the Winston-Salem Journal and Oregon’s Albany Democrat-Herald and Corvallis Gazette-Times have publicly acknowledged disruptions.
Some of Lee’s digital platforms remain partially functional, but many subscribers have reported issues logging in and accessing e-editions. The company has posted maintenance notices on several of its websites, alerting users to temporary service disruptions.
Investigations and Response
Lee Enterprises is conducting a forensic analysis to assess whether sensitive or personal data was stolen in the attack. While the company has not disclosed details about the perpetrators, it has notified law enforcement and is working to restore affected systems.
According to an internal email seen by TechCrunch, Lee CEO Kevin Mowbray informed affected media outlets on February 3 that a key data center hosting critical applications had gone offline. Since then, the company has been struggling to recover, warning that outages could persist for several more weeks.
The Freedom of the Press Foundation is maintaining a list of affected publications, highlighting the attack’s significant impact on local journalism.
Financial Implications
Lee Enterprises acknowledged that the incident is “reasonably likely” to have a material impact on its financial results. With continued disruptions to its revenue-generating operations, the company faces mounting challenges in stabilizing its business.
As Lee Enterprises works to recover from this cyberattack, the prolonged outage underscores the increasing threats faced by media organizations and the pressing need for robust cybersecurity measures.
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