Last week’s ransomware attack on Swiss price comparison website Comparis resulted in a data breach and client data was most probably stolen, say Zurich police.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/swissinfo.ch/sb
Last Wednesday Comparis.ch, which has 80 million visits a year, was shut down by ransomware attackers demanding $400,000 (CHF370,000) in cryptocurrencies to put it back online. By Friday the website was operational again.A Comparis spokesman told SWI swissinfo.ch that no ransom had been paid.
The company initially said it believed that no customer data had been breached. However, on Wednesday, a week after the attack, Zurich cantonal police said detailed analyses had shown that the perpetrators of the attack had access to certain internal customer data belonging to Comparis.
The investigators assume that certain data was stolen. This includes customer data of Credaris AG, a Comparis subsidiary. The company said in a statement that it had directly informed those potentially affected. It strongly recommends customers change their password as a precaution.
The identity or location of the cyberattackers is not known and the ransom demand took the form of a URL implanted in a secure area of the IT system. Comparis has filed a criminal complaint over the attack.
Comparis.ch is used by consumers to compare prices on the likes of insurance and mortgage deals.
More frequent
Ransomware attacks appear to be getting more frequent and having greater success worldwide.
High-profile cases have also been making headlines: for example, when thousands of companies worldwide, including a supermarket chain in Sweden, were paralysed by a recent attack on United States IT services provider Kaseya.
US oil and gas company Colonial Pipeline was hit in May and had to pay a bitcoin ransom to get supplies back online, although the FBI said it had since recovered most of the cryptocurrency that was paid.
Last month the world’s largest meat processor, JBL, faced major disruption to its operations before paying a ransom demand.
In Switzerland, rail company Stadler was attacked last year and suffered confidential data being made public because it refused to pay up.
Popular Stories
More
Foreign affairs
Go to war or stay put? Ukrainian men in Switzerland face fresh dilemmas
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
New European space tech centre in Switzerland launches its first project
This content was published on
The European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), launched in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), is to be located in the immediate vicinity of the PSI in northern Switzerland.
Swiss Federal Railways launches campaign for safety on public transport
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Railways is launching a campaign for greater respect and safety on public transport, with posters to go up in stations and on trains starting next week.
Swiss scientists to use AI for improved weather and climate forecasts
This content was published on
MeteoSwiss and the Swiss Data Science Center have signed a four-year agreement to make greater use of AI in meteorology and climatology going forward.
This content was published on
Prices of owner-occupied homes rose in the third quarter of 2024 by 0.5%, with inflation affecting both apartments and single-family houses, says the Federal Statistical Office.
This content was published on
The honey harvest is projected to be lower than usual this year, as Swiss beekeepers report harvesting an average of just 16kg of honey per bee colony.
More young refugees in Switzerland following vocational training
This content was published on
More than half of young refugees and temporarily admitted persons between the ages of 16 and 25 are now in training. This is significantly more than five years ago.
One in five Swiss children suffers psychological abuse at home
This content was published on
In Switzerland, one in five children suffers psychological violence, and one in three has witnessed psychological violence between parents, says the association Kinderschutz Schweiz.
Swiss government minister breaks silence over Trump remarks controversy
This content was published on
Transport Minister Albert Rösti explained himself in a television interview on Sunday evening, after being called out for expressing support for Donald Trump.
Swiss Covid expert calls for caution on vaccination recommendations
This content was published on
The head of the vaccination commission would be “even more cautious today” when it comes to Covid-19 vaccination recommendations.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Ransomware attackers demand $400,000 from Swiss website
This content was published on
A popular Swiss price comparison website has been shut down by ransomware attackers demanding $400,000 (CHF370,000) in cryptocurrencies to put it back online.
This content was published on
Swiss electricity providers are vulnerable to a Colonial Pipeline style ransomware attacks, says an energy ministry report.
Hackers demand millions in ransom for stolen Stadler Rail documents
This content was published on
The hackers who stole data from Swiss train manufacturer Stadler Rail in early May have demanded payment of a ransom of $6 million in Bitcoin.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.