Árvakur Hit by Major Cyber Attack
Morgunblaðið in Hádegismóar. mbl.is/Árni Sæberg
Árvakur, the publisher of Morgunblaðið, experienced an overwhelming cyber attack on most networked systems on Sunday, resulting in a large amount of data being effectively taken hostage by encryption.
The attack caused the news site mbl.is to go offline from around 17:00 to 20:00, with service restored only in Iceland. Iceland Monitor and mbl.is remained inaccessible globally.
The attack also brought down Morgunblaðið's editorial system and halted broadcasts from radio station K100.
"In practice, all data was captured and encrypted, both backups and daily processed data. This affects all of Árvakur's computer systems," stated Úlfar Ragnarsson, Árvakur's Chief Technology Offieer.
"The situation is grave and really as bad as it can get."
The Monday edition of Morgunblaðið being printed after midnight last Sunday.
Russian Group Akira Blamed for Attack
Úlfar confirmed that a Russian group known as Akira orchestrated the attack. Akira has previously been linked to confirmed cyber attacks on the University of Reykjavík and Brimborg, a local car dealership.
The attack was detected when Árvakur's computer systems slowed down on Sunday. According to Úlfar, the method of infiltration is still unknown, but such groups are known for their resourcefulness.
"It appears the breach occurred earlier in the month, operating undetected for days until the system failure. This is typical of such attacks," Úlfar explained.
Great uncertainty
Hólmfríður María Ragnhildardóttir, Duty Editor at Morgunblaðið, noticed system issues from noon on Sunday, affecting multiple systems.
"I contacted the IT department, and it soon became clear we were under cyber attack," she said. All systems were promptly shut down as a precaution. The severity of the situation prompted immediate action from key staff and network security specialists.
"Normally, Sundays are quiet at the editorial offices in Hádegismóar, but the building quickly filled with staff. We realised the gravity of the situation and the potential risk to the Monday edition. Journalists worked outside the system, using their personal laptops and smartphones, to ensure content was ready," Hólmfríður María recounted.
"It's a day I'll not soon forget."
Monday Edition Published Despite Challenges
Despite the disruption, Árvakur managed to publish a greatly reduced Monday’s edition of Morgunblaðið. The company continues to address the fallout from the cyber attack.
