Philadelphia Inquirer Cyberattack: A Menace to the Future of American Journalism

The Philadelphia Inquirer, Pennsylvania’s largest newspaper, experienced a significant disruption to its operations due to a cyberattack that took place in May 2023. The incident was the most significant upheaval to the publication’s print operations in 27 years, causing the newspaper’s biggest disruption in decades. This disruption was due to a cyber incursion that prevented the printing of its Sunday print issue. While the news organization’s website remained operational, updates were slower than usual, according to the Inquirer.

According to reports by the Inquirer, the attack was first detected on a Saturday when employees found that the newspaper’s content-management system was not working. The Inquirer discovered anomalous activity on some computer systems and immediately took those systems offline. The attack caused the largest disruption to publication of Pennsylvania’s largest news organization since a massive blizzard in January 1996, the Inquirer reported. The cyberattack also took place before a mayoral primary election, but the operational disruption would not affect news coverage of this election. However, journalists would be unable to use the newsroom on the night of the primaries.

The company’s CEO, Lisa Hughes, stated that the employing company’s investigative team was working on full restoration of the paper’s systems. That said, they could not provide an exact timeline for full restoration. Hughes expressed her appreciation for everyone’s patience and understanding as they strived to restore the systems and complete the investigation as soon as possible. The company and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were conducting an investigation into the extent and specific targets of the attack.

This particular attack on the Philadelphia Inquirer’s systems is a clear demonstration of the vulnerability of publicly available data to cyberattacks. As cybercriminals become more sophisticated and daring, it is essential for journalism institutions to invest in cybersecurity measures that will safeguard their operations from cyber threats.

Conclusion

The rise of cyberattacks on publicly available data places organizations like the Philadelphia Inquirer at risk, requiring that they increase their cybersecurity measures. This incident underscores the need for journalism institutions to protect their data and operations better to avoid such disruptions in the future.