NBC News: WPXI in Pittsburgh 1 of 2 stations hit by apparent cyberattack

WPXI-TV was one of two Cox Media Group stations forced offline this week in an apparent cyberattack against the parent company, according to a report from NBC News.

Managers on Thursday told employees at WPXI and WFTV in Orlando, Fla. to shut down company computers and phones, according to report. That same day, IT network staff began shutting down company servers at the Pittsburgh station, leaving staff unable to access emails and internal programs used for broadcasts, an employee told NBC News.

A manager with WPXI did not immediately return a call for comment. An email sent to Cox Media Group seeking comment was not answered Friday evening.

Similar moves were made at the Florida station, where managers asked employees to not come into the station Thursday or Friday, NBC reported.

It was not immediately clear what was wrong with the company’s computer networks, but cyber security experts interviewed by NBC News said the incidents appeared to be a ransomware attack on Cox Media Group.

Both stations were able to put together local broadcasts throughout the incident.

The attack is seemingly one of several that have plagued industries across the United States over the past few months. In May, an attack took place on a pipeline carrying gasoline and other fuel from Texas to the northeast, forcing it to shutdown. It was later identified that the attack against Colonial Pipeline was carried out by the criminal gang DarkSide.

Earlier this week, JBS, the world’s largest meat supplier, said its systems were coming back online after a cyber attack shut down U.S. and Australian operations, The Washington Post reported. In a statement, the organization said the “vast majority” of plants would be operational by Wednesday.

The attacks prompted the White House to warn American businesses to take urgent security measures to protect against ransomware attacks, according to The New York Times, as hackers shift tactics from stealing data to disrupting critical infrastructure.