ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — Lee Enterprises, the parent company of several local newspapers, including The Press of Atlantic City, has confirmed it was the target of a ransomware attack that disrupted operations across at least 75 publications.
The attack, first reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 3, caused technology outages that affected printed newspapers, subscription accounts, and internal services. In an update to the SEC on Tuesday, Lee revealed that hackers accessed its network, encrypted critical applications, and exfiltrated files—hallmarks of a ransomware attack.
“The incident impacted the Company’s operations, including distribution of products, billing, collections, and vendor payments,” Lee said in its SEC filing.
Lee, which owns 350 weekly and specialty publications across 25 states, said it is conducting a forensic analysis to determine whether personal or sensitive data was compromised.
By February 12, Lee had restored distribution for its core publications, but weekly and ancillary products remain affected, representing about five percent of the company’s total operating revenue. A full recovery is expected to take several weeks.
