Скачать или смотреть IT News: Lee Enterprises Data Breach Explained

Lee Enterprises, a major player in the U.S. media landscape, recently faced a significant data breach.

Nearly 40,000 individuals had their personal information compromised in a ransomware attack that occurred in February 2025.

This breach has raised concerns about data security within large publishing companies.

The attack targeted Lee Enterprises, which publishes 77 daily newspapers and 350 weekly publications across 26 states.

The breach exposed sensitive information, including names, Social Security Numbers, Driver's License details, financial account numbers, and medical information.

The company disclosed these details in a filing with the Office of Maine's Attorney General.

The ransomware attack had a profound impact on Lee Enterprises' operations.

It caused a systems outage, forcing the shutdown of many networks.

This led to significant disruptions in printing and delivery for numerous newspapers.

Additionally, corporate VPNs were down, and access to internal systems and cloud storage was lost, affecting the company's ability to function smoothly.

The Qilin ransomware gang claimed responsibility for the attack, stating they had stolen 120,000 documents totaling 350 gigabytes.

They threatened to release the data on March 5, adding Lee Enterprises to their dark web leak site.

The stolen data allegedly included government ID scans, financial spreadsheets, and confidential agreements, raising the stakes for the company.

Lee Enterprises is actively investigating the claims made by the ransomware group.

A spokesperson confirmed the company is aware of the situation and is working to verify the legitimacy of the stolen data.

This breach follows a previous incident in 2020 when Iranian hackers accessed the company's systems.

The ongoing investigation aims to prevent future breaches and secure sensitive information.