Researchers recently linked the Royal ransomware group to numerous cyberattacks and have reportedly attacked the Iowa PBS station in its latest campaign.
A spokesperson from the affected Public Broadcasting Service stated that the cyberattack occurred a couple of months ago after their team observed suspicious activity on their systems. The broadcasting station said they immediately contacted system experts to aid them in identifying the cause of the incident.
The Iowa PBS station continued its service to its citizens despite the attack.
Iowa PBS station did not suffer any impact on their services. Hence, the digital broadcast platforms and live streams are still operational, which could allow them to continue to inform, educate, and inspire their listeners and viewers.
However, the representative declined to provide more details regarding the attack since they have cited the laws in Iowa that make cybersecurity information confidential.
A separate representative also stated that their company had distributed notification letters but would not declare how many individuals were affected and what kind of data was exposed during the cybersecurity issue.
Unfortunately, two days after the company became aware of the attack, a few local news outlets reported that it was interrupted by the incident.
Iowa PBS stated that the disruption would have inflicted considerable loss to their revenue, but they are more concerned about the public trust and relationship to their company.
Earlier this week, the Royal ransomware group claimed the cyberattack but did not state what data they stole from the Iowa organisation.
According to researchers, the Royal ransomware group only emerged in September last year. Still, it has already claimed numerous victims, including one of the UK’s most well-known motor racing circuits.
The Iowa PBS station is the most recent broadcasting entity that the Royal ransomware group has attacked. Cybersecurity experts believe this malicious entity is just getting started and will probably commence more attacks against numerous organisations this year.
Experts advise that researchers and analysts keep tabs on the Royal ransomware as they could grow more prominent since they have gained more profits from their previous attacks.
