Garmin (NASDAQ: GRMN), the maker of devices for navigation and outdoor activities, reportedly was hit with a ransomware attack late last week. The attack crippled its online app and prevented customers from recording data in Garmin Connect, which syncs user activity to devices and the cloud. The company's flyGarmin app used by pilots for navigation and route planning was also disabled, according to the website TechCrunch.
The servers were down throughout the weekend, but are now slowly coming back online, according to the website Digital Trends. The cyberattacker has reportedly asked the company to pay a ransom of $10 million to restart its operations.
Image source: Getty Images.
The Daily Mail, a British newspaper, is reporting that Russian cybercriminal group Evil Corp. is behind the attack. The newspaper's website said the group, which has been operating for over 10 years, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in December 2019, after causing more than $100 million in damages to the U.S. banking system. Any payment of a ransom would be breaking U.S. sanctions, the paper said.
But some of Garmin's platforms have already been coming back online. Though the Garmin app is still out of service, Garmin Dive, Garmin Golf, and Live Track are all back online, according to Garmin's website. User activity data is also still on devices, which will be available to users once the Garmin Connect app syncs to their data.
A company status report this morning said: "We are currently experiencing an outage that affects Garmin.com and Garmin Connect. This outage also affects our call centers, and we are currently unable to receive any calls, emails or online chats." It said that other than what is currently back online, there remains "limited" access to Garmin Connect, Connect IQ, and activity tracker vivofit jr.
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