Major U.S. local newspaper publisher Lee Enterprises had information from 39,779 individuals, including their Social Security numbers, compromised as a result of an attack by the Qilin ransomware-as-a-service operation in February, which allegedly led to the exfiltration of 350 GB of data, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.Data exposure following the intrusion which disrupted online and print production of several U.S. local newspapers was only identified on May 28, said Lee Enterprises in breach notification letters provided to impacted individuals and Maine regulators. Aside from giving a year of complimentary credit monitoring services to people affected by the incident, Lee Enterprises has also committed to collaborating in further investigations to ensure that its attackers are held accountable. Such a disclosure comes weeks after Lee Enterprises reported that it had spent $2 million on efforts to recover from the intrusion, which has severely impacted its advertising revenue.
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