Ransomware attackers demand $400,000 from Swiss website
The comparis website was disabled by ransomware attackers.
swissinfo.ch
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
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/mga
Comparis.ch, which racks up around 80 million visits a year, is used by consumers to compare prices on the likes of insurance and mortgage deals. The attack started on Wednesday and by Thursday had shut down the website, although the company said in a statement that it believed that no customer data was breached.
* By Friday, after this article was first published, Comparis said the website was back in operation. A Comparis spokesman told SWI swissinfo.ch that no ransom was paid.
The identity or location of the cyber attacker is not known and the ransom demand took the form of a URL implanted in a secure area of the IT system.
Ransomware attacks appear to be getting more frequent and with 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.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
Norwegian zombie film wins main prize at Swiss festival NIFFF
This content was published on
More than 55,000 people celebrated the fantastic film at the International Fantastic Film Festival in Neuchâtel (NIFFF) - fewer than last year.
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
Swiss electricity grid vulnerable to cyberattack
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.