Exploit: Ransomware
Sandhills Global: IT & Digital Publishing
Risk to Business: 1.337 = Extreme Digital publishing giant Sandhills Global was shut down this week by a ransomware attack. The company handles trade magazines and websites for major publications in the transportation, agricultural, aerospace, heavy machinery and technology industries. Publications that Sandhills produces include TractorHouse, Machinery Trader, Machinery Trader Auction Results, Truck Paper, RentalYard, and AuctionTime, as well as Controller, Executive Controller, and Charter Hub, are among its trade magazines. Sandhills Global’s website, as well as all of their hosted publications, went offline recently, and their phones stopped working after a successful ransomware attack purportedly by Conti. Investigation of the breach and restoration of the impacted sites is underway.
Risk to Individual: No consumer PII or financial data loss was disclosed in this breach as of press time.
Customers Impacted: Unknown
How It Could Affect Your Customers’ Business : Data is of immense value to cybercriminals in the booming dark web data markets, and by scooping it up at service providers like publishing companies they can ensure that they profit even if no ransom is paid.
Risk Levels:
1 - 1.5 = Extreme Risk
1.51 - 2.49 = Severe Risk
2.5 - 3 = Moderate Risk
*The risk score is calculated using a formula that considers a wide range of factors related to the assessed breach.
