ST. LOUIS — Businesses that use Kronos human resource management technology might find that a ransomware attack could impact their employee timekeeping and payroll for weeks.
Lowell, Massachusetts-based Ultimate Kronos Group, or UKG, is the latest victim of ransomware — a type of cyberattack where attackers encrypt data and demands owners pay a ransom to unlock it.
The provider of HR and payroll software said it was Dec. 11 when executives first found out about unauthorized activity that affected UKG products using Kronos Private Cloud. Kronos Private Cloud hosts corporate products like UKG Workforce Central, UKG TeleStaff, Healthcare Extensions and Banking Scheduling Solutions.
In a webpage dedicated to the incident, UKG wrote that "it may take up to several weeks to fully restore system availability." The company said it working to determine whether customer data has been compromised.
UKG recommended client companies implement "alternative business continuity protocols" related to any affected Kronos services they use.
A spokesperson for UKG wrote in a statement that the Kronos Private Cloud houses solutions used by a "limited" number of UKG customers.
However, its client list includes high-profile companies such as Tesla and Puma, as well as hospitals and universities, according to USA Today.
"We took immediate action to investigate and mitigate the issue, have alerted our affected customers and informed the authorities, and are working with leading cybersecurity experts," the UKG spokesperson wrote. "We recognize the seriousness of the issue and have mobilized all available resources to support our customers and are working diligently to restore the affected services."
Click here for the full story from the St. Louis Business Journal.
