Cyber-attack attempt on systems thwarted

FBI, security experts investigating targeted ransomware incident

The Rockets intercepted an attempt by cyberattackers to install ransomware in their internal systems.

The team, while confident most systems have not been compromised, has launched an investigation with cybersecurity experts and the FBI.

The Rockets said the attack has not impacted operations or compromised information of fans or employees.

“The Rockets organization recently detected suspicious activity on certain systems in its internal network,” the team’s statement said. “We immediately launched an investigation to aggressively gather facts and began taking steps to block the unauthorized activity. Leading cybersecurity experts were also engaged to assist in the investigation.

“Our investigation is ongoing, but it appears that the unknown actors attempted to install ransomware on certain internal systems at the Rockets. However, our internal security tools prevented ransomware from being installed except for a few systems that have not impacted our operations. We are also aware of reports that the actors behind the attack claim to have acquired internal business information of the Rockets.”

In November, a similar attack on the Premier League team Manchester United led the club to shut down systems for several weeks but no private information was compromised. The club blamed “organized cybercriminals” for the attack amid an investigation similar to the one underway with the Rockets.

“The Rockets organization is working diligently to investigate the incident and the actor’s claims, including working closely with the FBI to support their investigation,” according to the team’s statement. “However, these investigations are complex, dynamic and require time to conduct properly. Until our investigation is completed, it will be difficult to determine with certainty the scope of the incident, but we will continue to work vigilantly to address any potential issues that may affect our fans, employees, and players. Should we determine throughout the investigation that personal information of any individuals may have been involved, we will notify those individuals directly.

“While this investigation is ongoing, the incident has had no impact to our operations or our ability to take care of our fans, employees, and players.”