Right-Wing Media Conglomerate Sinclair was Ransomware'd

[Jimmy Higgins]

Sinclair, a company that continues buying up local channels and purchased a lot of regional sports networks in an attempt to make money with a cable/sat free subscription package for local sports and gambling (of which the MLB said 'not so fast')... discovered they got ransomeware'd last week.

Sinclair Broadcast Group, which operates dozens of TV stations across the U.S., said Monday that some of its servers and work stations were encrypted with ransomware and that some of its data was stolen from the company's network.

The company said it started investigating the potential security incident on Saturday and on Sunday it and found that certain office and operational networks were disrupted.
The Hunt Valley, Maryland-based company owns and/or operates 21 regional sports network and owns, operates and/or provides services to 185 television stations in 86 markets.

The broadcast group, which is known for pushing a conservative viewpoint through editorials and reports that it compels its stations to run, did not immediately say how many TV stations were directly affected.

Man, that sounds awful. Terrible. I think it is interesting they think data was stolen. Ransomware typically just locks away the data, not take it.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I think it is interesting they think data was stolen. Ransomware typically just locks away the data, not take it.

They are trying to steal data these days--if you don't pay the ransom not only do you not get your data but they'll leak it.

 

[Jarhyn]

I think it is interesting they think data was stolen. Ransomware typically just locks away the data, not take it.

They are trying to steal data these days--if you don't pay the ransom not only do you not get your data but they'll leak it.

Oh such a terrible thing... My money is on them paying up. Can't risk all their propaganda efforts being laid plain and bare and unmasked

 

[Tigers!]

I keep telling these ransomware chappys that i will not pay a cent until I see the pictures of me they claim to have.

 

[Swammerdami]

I keep telling these ransomware chappys that i will not pay a cent until I see the pictures of me they claim to have.

Are you taking inspiration from the infamous Indonesian dictator Sukarno whom both the KGB and the CIA tried to blackmail with video-tapes of his adventures in the arms of a KGB honey-trap?

Legend has it that Sukarno enjoyed the tapes and asked the KGB for extra copies to give to his friends.

 

[Keith&Co.]

Legend has it that Sukarno enjoyed the tapes and asked the KGB for extra copies to give to his friends.

I always like The Carey Treatment. Dr. Carey is investigating a botched abortion in defense of the accused doctor. Someone hires a private eye to get compromising pictures of him.
He chases down the photographer and takes the film.
Next scene, he blasts into the office of the Hospital admin idiot who's most likely the attempted blackmailer. With a giant blown-up poster of him in bed with someone he's not married to. "Look at this! Two consenting adults enjoying themselves!" And leaves the poster...

Of course, if you're NOT proud of your actions, it might not be as much fun to self-publish...

 

[Tigers!]

I keep telling these ransomware chappys that i will not pay a cent until I see the pictures of me they claim to have.

Are you taking inspiration from the infamous Indonesian dictator Sukarno whom both the KGB and the CIA tried to blackmail with video-tapes of his adventures in the arms of a KGB honey-trap?

Legend has it that Sukarno enjoyed the tapes and asked the KGB for extra copies to give to his friends.

I did not know about that with Sukarno. A friend and I talked about what we would do if we got such a demand. About a month later I did get such a demand via e-mail and replied as above. I then waited. My computer still works about 2 years later.

 

[masterpeastheater]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of assholes

 

[Ruth Harris]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of assholes

Yep. They own a local station here, which I promptly quit watching when they pushed out those inane news scripts with local reporters intoning "we're concerned about the troubling trend of irresponsible, one sided news stories" in 2018.

The true local news people were having trouble keeping from laughing every time they discussed this latest Sinclair foul up. I did feel sorry for the local station employees, but even so they stayed when things started going downhill years ago so my sympathy is limited.

Ruth