Worcester contractor Coghlin Electrical Corp. experienced a ransomware attack on Monday, although compromised files have been recovered, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported Friday.
When reached via email by WBJ, Coghlin CEO Sue Mailman declined to expand on the situation.
Per the T&G report, Coghlin did not pay anyone as a result of the attack and is currently working with law enforcement to move the investigation forward.
Ransomware attacks are increasingly common and have been reported at a higher clip in the last year. Generally, they involve hackers compromising a system and holding data hostage, demanding the victim pay in order to re-obtain access to their own information.
WBJ advice columnist and tech expert Michele Drolet recommends companies obtain cyber insurance, limit access to their systems, and develop monitoring plans, among other steps, to help mitigate against ransomware attacks.
Perhaps the most notorious case this was the Colonial Pipeline hack, which resulted in increased fuel prices and long lines at gasoline stations up and down the East Coast in May.
