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 * 12-14-21


KRONOS RANSOMWARE ATTACK: THE NIGHTMARE THAT COULD HIT PAYCHECKS RIGHT BEFORE
CHRISTMAS


THE COMPANY SAID THE ATTACK COULD FORCE ITS PAYROLL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS OFFLINE
FOR WEEKS.

[Source Images: MF3d/iStock]
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By Connie Lin2 minute Read

Kronos, a multinational workforce management platform, has been hit by a
ransomware attack that the company said could force its system offline for
several weeks.




According to parent company Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG), the attack disrupted
Kronos Private Cloud solutions, which stores data for UKG Workforce Central,
UKG TeleStaff, Healthcare Extensions, and Banking Scheduling Solutions.
Workforce Central is the software that employees use to schedule shifts, log
absences, and clock in and out of work. UKG said it became aware of the incident
after detecting “unusual activity” on Saturday, and began taking steps to
“investigate and mitigate” it. It has since enlisted top cybersecurity experts
to resolve the situation, but warned that its software could stay down for a
while.

Unfortunately, Kronos boasts a ledger of big-name clients including Tesla, MGM
Resorts International, Puma, Sainsbury’s, the YMCA, and the city of Denver. The
information-tech-focused website ZDNet reported that multiple companies were
unable to process payrolls as of Monday, and other sources said the outage could
cause them to miss paychecks leading up to their holiday breaks.

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, another Kronos client, also
revealed Monday that its payroll and shift-keeping systems were inaccessible.
Clients were encouraged by Kronos to “implement alternative business continuity
protocols” in the meantime. However, those clients also include some small
businesses without contingencies in place, which are ill-equipped to rustle up a
contract on such short notice.

advertisement



But if that wasn’t bad enough, the attack may also have compromised personal
information. The city of Cleveland, yet another Kronos client, told local news
station WKYC that it received an alert from UKG that some employees’ names,
addresses, and last four Social Security digits could have been stolen. UKG said
its investigation is still ongoing.

The cloud provider has not said which ransomware group was behind the attack,
but some analysts speculate it’s linked to the Log4Shell flaw, which was
discovered last week exploited in Minecraft servers, and is already being
described as one of the most serious threats ever seen. Found within Log4J, an
open-source Java-based logging framework, it’s a zero-day vulnerability—meaning
it’s been disclosed but not patched—that lets malicious actors, even those with
low skill sets, run virtually any code in the wild. Most troubling, Log4J is
ubiquitous, used by massive internet companies like Amazon, Cloudflare, Steam,
Twitter, and Baidu. Hopefully, they’re all hustling to engineer fixes before
it’s too late.

If not, the consequences could be dire. In 2017, a similar vulnerability was
exploited to breach consumer credit agency Equifax, compromising data from more
than 100 million customers. Equifax has since been ordered to pay $77.5 million
to those affected in a class action lawsuit.





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HOW A NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE GAVE PELOTON INSTRUCTOR ALLY LOVE DETERMINATION TO
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PLANT-BASED MEAT ISN’T PERFECT, BUT IT IS A FORM OF HARM REDUCTION

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GOOD NEWS! CHOPPED DOWN TROPICAL FORESTS CAN REGROW WAY FASTER THAN WE THOUGHT

Impact


UTRECHT WANTS TO BE THE FIRST CITY TO USE ITS ELECTRIC CAR FLEET AS A GIANT
BATTERY


NEWS

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OUT-OF-STOCK ANXIETY AND SHIPPING DELAYS WON’T STOP PEOPLE FROM LAST-MINUTE
SHOPPING THIS YEAR

News


LOG4J VULNERABILITY EXPLAINED: THE SOFTWARE FLAW THAT HAS THE TECH WORLD RACING
FOR A FIX

News


WITH OMICRON SPREADING FAST, COMPANIES ARE LOSING PATIENCE WITH UNVACCINATED
EMPLOYEES


CO.DESIGN

Co.Design


IT’S TIME TO KILL THE TABOO OF GIVING SECONDHAND GIFTS

Co.Design


FROM WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE TO BLACK LIVES MATTER, THE RADICAL HISTORY OF HOW CLOTHING
HAS DEFINED PROTESTS

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THIS HIGH-TECH MASK WENT VIRAL. THEN THE COMPANY HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BUILD
IT


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Work Life


3 ‘CUSTOMER-OBSESSION BEHAVIORS’ FOR THE DIGITAL AGE

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FAST COMPANY

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Login
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 * Podcasts
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 * Recommender
 * Innovation Festival 360IF360
 * Subscribe
 * 
 * FastCo Works
    * AWS
    * Deloitte
    * Genpact


 * HOMEPAGE


 * CO.DESIGN


 * TECH


 * WORK LIFE


 * NEWS


 * IMPACT


 * PODCASTS


 * VIDEO


 * RECOMMENDER


 * INNOVATION FESTIVAL 360


 * SUBSCRIBE

Help Center
fastco works


 * AWS


 * BOSTON SCIENTIFIC


 * DELOITTE


 * DEPT


 * ELEVATE PRIZE


 * GENPACT


 * KLARNA


 * LOGITECH


 * SQUARE


 * VERIZON AWS


 * VISA


 * FASTCO WORKS
   
   An award-winning team of journalists, designers, and videographers who tell
   brand stories through Fast Company's distinctive lens

FC Executive Board
collections


 * FAST GOVERNMENT
   
   The future of innovation and technology in government for the greater good


 * MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES
   
   Our annual guide to the businesses that matter the most


 * MOST CREATIVE PEOPLE
   
   Leaders who are shaping the future of business in creative ways


 * WORLD CHANGING IDEAS
   
   New workplaces, new food sources, new medicine--even an entirely new economic
   system


 * INNOVATION BY DESIGN
   
   Celebrating the best ideas in business

Newsletter
Events


 * INNOVATION FESTIVAL

Courses and LearningAdvertiseCurrent Issue
Current Issue
SUBSCRIBE
Follow us:

advertisement

advertisement

 * 12-14-21


KRONOS RANSOMWARE ATTACK: THE NIGHTMARE THAT COULD HIT PAYCHECKS RIGHT BEFORE
CHRISTMAS


THE COMPANY SAID THE ATTACK COULD FORCE ITS PAYROLL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS OFFLINE
FOR WEEKS.

[Source Images: MF3d/iStock]
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 

By Connie Lin2 minute Read

Kronos, a multinational workforce management platform, has been hit by a
ransomware attack that the company said could force its system offline for
several weeks.

advertisement

advertisement



According to parent company Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG), the attack disrupted
Kronos Private Cloud solutions, which stores data for UKG Workforce Central,
UKG TeleStaff, Healthcare Extensions, and Banking Scheduling Solutions.
Workforce Central is the software that employees use to schedule shifts, log
absences, and clock in and out of work. UKG said it became aware of the incident
after detecting “unusual activity” on Saturday, and began taking steps to
“investigate and mitigate” it. It has since enlisted top cybersecurity experts
to resolve the situation, but warned that its software could stay down for a
while.

Unfortunately, Kronos boasts a ledger of big-name clients including Tesla, MGM
Resorts International, Puma, Sainsbury’s, the YMCA, and the city of Denver. The
information-tech-focused website ZDNet reported that multiple companies were
unable to process payrolls as of Monday, and other sources said the outage could
cause them to miss paychecks leading up to their holiday breaks.

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority, another Kronos client, also
revealed Monday that its payroll and shift-keeping systems were inaccessible.
Clients were encouraged by Kronos to “implement alternative business continuity
protocols” in the meantime. However, those clients also include some small
businesses without contingencies in place, which are ill-equipped to rustle up a
contract on such short notice.

advertisement

advertisement


But if that wasn’t bad enough, the attack may also have compromised personal
information. The city of Cleveland, yet another Kronos client, told local news
station WKYC that it received an alert from UKG that some employees’ names,
addresses, and last four Social Security digits could have been stolen. UKG said
its investigation is still ongoing.

The cloud provider has not said which ransomware group was behind the attack,
but some analysts speculate it’s linked to the Log4Shell flaw, which was
discovered last week exploited in Minecraft servers, and is already being
described as one of the most serious threats ever seen. Found within Log4J, an
open-source Java-based logging framework, it’s a zero-day vulnerability—meaning
it’s been disclosed but not patched—that lets malicious actors, even those with
low skill sets, run virtually any code in the wild. Most troubling, Log4J is
ubiquitous, used by massive internet companies like Amazon, Cloudflare, Steam,
Twitter, and Baidu. Hopefully, they’re all hustling to engineer fixes before
it’s too late.

If not, the consequences could be dire. In 2017, a similar vulnerability was
exploited to breach consumer credit agency Equifax, compromising data from more
than 100 million customers. Equifax has since been ordered to pay $77.5 million
to those affected in a class action lawsuit.


advertisement

advertisement

advertisement

advertisement






VIDEO

How a near-death experience gave Peloton instructor Ally Love determination to
succeed
Ally Love is the definition of multi-hyphenate. She's a Peloton instructor,
founder and CEO of the Love Squad, TV host for the Brooklyn Nets, and an
Instagram influencer. Love shared with us how a near-death experience has
inspired her to pursue her dreams and how she fits so much into her day.
More Videos


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Next Up
How Ryan Reynolds created the ultimate '80s ad reboot
03:34
facebook twitter Email
Linkhttps://www.fastcompany.com/video/how-a-near-death-experience-gave-peloton-instructor-ally-love-determination-to-succeed/JnYw1RQo?jwsource=cl
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00:00
38:20
38:20








 



IMPACT

Impact


PLANT-BASED MEAT ISN’T PERFECT, BUT IT IS A FORM OF HARM REDUCTION

Impact


GOOD NEWS! CHOPPED DOWN TROPICAL FORESTS CAN REGROW WAY FASTER THAN WE THOUGHT

Impact


UTRECHT WANTS TO BE THE FIRST CITY TO USE ITS ELECTRIC CAR FLEET AS A GIANT
BATTERY


NEWS

News


OUT-OF-STOCK ANXIETY AND SHIPPING DELAYS WON’T STOP PEOPLE FROM LAST-MINUTE
SHOPPING THIS YEAR

News


LOG4J VULNERABILITY EXPLAINED: THE SOFTWARE FLAW THAT HAS THE TECH WORLD RACING
FOR A FIX

News


WITH OMICRON SPREADING FAST, COMPANIES ARE LOSING PATIENCE WITH UNVACCINATED
EMPLOYEES


CO.DESIGN

Co.Design


IT’S TIME TO KILL THE TABOO OF GIVING SECONDHAND GIFTS

Co.Design


FROM WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE TO BLACK LIVES MATTER, THE RADICAL HISTORY OF HOW CLOTHING
HAS DEFINED PROTESTS

Co.Design


THIS HIGH-TECH MASK WENT VIRAL. THEN THE COMPANY HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BUILD
IT


WORK LIFE

Work Life


YOUR BEST EMPLOYEE JUST QUIT. SHOULD YOU EXTEND A COUNTEROFFER?

Work Life


HOW TO FIX A DYSFUNCTIONAL EXECUTIVE TEAM AT A GROWING COMPANY

Work Life


3 ‘CUSTOMER-OBSESSION BEHAVIORS’ FOR THE DIGITAL AGE

 * Advertise
 * Privacy Policy
 * Terms
 * Notice of Collection
 * Do Not Sell My Data
 * Permissions
 * Contact
 * About Us
 * Site Map
 * Fast Company & Inc © 2021 Mansueto Ventures, LLC
 * 








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