A ransomware attack striking one of the largest human resources companies could impact how employees get paid, clock in for work, and track paid time off according to USA Today.
HR management company Ultimate Kronos Group confirmed a ransomware attack impacted several services companies use to manage their employees and payrolls. The attack, which UKG discovered on Saturday, affects the Kronos Private Cloud, which includes UKG Workforce Central, UKG TeleStaff, Healthcare Extensions, and Banking Scheduling Solutions, said the company.
“We are working with leading cyber security experts to assess and resolve the situation, and have notified the authorities,” said Bob Hughes, executive vice president for UKG, in a post on the company’s website. “The investigation remains ongoing, as we work to determine the nature and scope of the incident.”
WGN9 reported that “Ultimate Kronos Group,” known as UKG, is a payroll software relied on by 40 million workers. On Tuesday, the company issued a statement saying services were disrupted due to the attack. Many companies, including the University of Illinois Health and Marriott Hotels, were affected.
Chicago-based cyber security expert Elijah Anderson said ransomware attacks are becoming more commonplace. “Ransomware is something that has a lot of permutations out there today, so it’s hard to even define because it’s constantly evolving,” Anderson said.
Anderson said it’s too early to tell who is responsible for the incident. “This is an opportunity of growth and the technology is so simple to use and affordable, that anyone with a laptop and time on the internet in a Dark Web forum can learn the basics to be dangerous,” said Anderson.
