E- blackmail

PETALING JAYA: Media Prima Berhad, Malaysia’s largest media company, has been hit by ransomware that locked down its internal email system since last Thursday.

Hackers behind the attack demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency amounting to 1,000 Bitcoins.

This is equivalent to about RM26 million (one Bitcoin is worth about US$6,700 at current values).

Media Prima, in a statement issued at about 7pm yesterday, said it has chosen to refrain from making public comments on matters related to its security and internal systems.

However, the company said that at no time were its core business operations such as broadcast, print, out-of-home advertising, content production and digital publishing interrupted.

Financial news daily The Edge reported that the extent of the data breach is yet to be known but cyberhackers had made the email system inaccessible.

“The whole Media Prima group’s computer systems has been breached and infected with ransomware over the last four days.

“The attackers demanded 1,000 Bitcoins from Media Prima,” the report said, quoting a source.

It said officials of Media Prima were tightlipped about the cyber attack and declined comment when contacted by the financial daily.

The report also quoted another source as saying that the company will not give in to the demands and will not pay any ransom.

Both federal and Selangor police officials, when contacted by theSun, said they have yet to receive a police report from Media Prima.

The public-listed company owns television stations TV3, TV9, 8TV and NTV7, several radio stations and New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd group.