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Network 10 servers hit by hackers

Exclusive: 10 was hit with a major corporate crisis when its servers were hacked, just before the Melb. Cup Carnival.

EXCLUSIVE: Network 10 was faced with an unprecedented crisis recently when its computer servers were wiped and data was held at ransom.

Multiple sources tell TV Tonight the hacking came just ahead of the Melbourne Cup Carnival  sending productions into meltdown as they scrambled to get to air.

Corporate hacking can be a devastating company problem in 2019. It has struck corporations around the world across multiple industries, holding data to ransom unless monies are paid, usually in bitcoin.

Sources suggest high-level digital data was impacted at 10: TV production rundowns, internal communications, employee details, payroll, talent details and more.

Falling before the Cup Carnival was disastrous, and immediately impacted Derby Day graphics. Live programmes, many of which rely on spreadsheets, had to resort to paper documents for rundowns and scripts.

With staff unable to access computers, many worked from home through the crisis, turning to webmail on phones just to communicate.

 

IT experts from CBS were rushed to Australia during the crisis which is understood to have lasted for around a week.

Discussion of the hacking has been kept in-house with communications avoiding any references.

While it isn’t clear how the crisis was averted, staff worked overtime and spent weeks to rebuild 10’s servers. Thankfully, little data has been lost. But some staff are fearful of losing their job should they discuss the incident. There are also concerns about their private details having been accessed.

However, theories abound that 10 may not have been the primary target in the hacking but a victim of a larger threat, in response to the recent CBS – Viacom merger.

10 did not respond to enquiries.

9 Responses

  1. Just another one of my things which scares me, as thousands of photos stored on hard drives can be lost, please people print your favourite photos, they will last. You can always see them. If operating systems are upgraded it is a chance that they will not be backward compatible.

  2. Really scary stuff. My PC was hacked and all data made unavailable to me, unless I paid a ransom of approx two grand using Bitcoin. Losing hundreds of photos of family and beloved pets, some who had passed on was devastating, but I didn’t co-operate. I just bought a new PC and good antivirus software. Obviously it doesn’t compare to this large scale Corporate situation, but it’s just really creepy ?

      1. Thanks for the advice, but I’ve since phased out the PC, and now just use smartphone and tablet, and access a desktop to kill time at the library. I.T does my head in, give me the Flintstones lifestyle any day ?

        1. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Even just storing things on an external hard drive can save a lot of pain. In this new digital world it is dangerous not to back up anything.

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