CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — A ransomware attack on one of the largest human resource companies may affect payroll, time cards, and tracking paid time off.
Kronos announced it was hit by a ransomware attack over the weekend and estimates that it will take weeks for them to fix the problem.
The company posted this notice on its website in regards to the attack:
“We are working with leading cyber security experts to assess and resolve the situation, and have notified the authorities. The investigation remains ongoing, as we work to determine the nature and scope of the incident.”
ultimate kronos group
George Washington University in Washington D.C. reported that employee information was potentially compromised in the hack. Names, employee IDs, and email addresses may have been compromised, but social security numbers and birth dates are not stored in Kronos and are secured, the university said.
The Forth Worth Independent School District in Texas was also affected, with its more than 11,000 employees.
The school released a memo to employees earlier this week:
“We learned this morning that the company is going to be disabled for a significant period of time. The Fort Worth ISD, however, has backup plans ready to roll out and no employee will lose timekeeping continuity that will impact his or her compensation…”
The Forth Worth independent school district
No group has claimed responsibility for this attack.
The human resource management group is used by dozens of major companies like Tesla, PUMA, and the YMCA. In the meantime, the company recommends clients find alternatives for workforce management. Kronos claims it does not appear any data was stolen.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is urging all companies and organizations to beef up their cybersecurity ahead of the holidays because hackers normally take advantage of this time of year.