Suspected Cyberattack From Outside US Hits LA Times, Other Papers
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A suspected malware computer virus from outside the United States prevented the Los Angeles Times from publishing many of its Saturday print editions, in an attack that similarly crippled other newspapers across the country, the Times said.
The newspaper reported in its online edition at 4:55 p.m. that the cyberattack "appears to have originated from outside the United States.''
The virus caused production problems at the California Times printing plant in downtown Los Angeles, where the Times is printed.
The San Diego Union-Tribune was unable to make Saturday delivery of its print addition, and the Southern California editions of the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times were affected as well.
The Times said the company "is investigating whether the computer problems were the result of a cyberattack by a third party.''
The Times said the issue -- which apparently began late Thursday night -- was first detected Friday. Technology teams made significant progress in fixing the problem, but were unable to clear all systems before press time.
In an update Saturday afternoon, the paper said that all publications within The Times' former parent company, Tribune Publishing, had problems with print production Saturday. Tribune Publishing sold The Times and the San Diego Union-Tribune to Los Angeles biotech billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong in June, but the companies continue to share various systems, including software.
The LA Times said that readers could access the Saturday edition online via the digital edition.
"We apologize to our customers for this inconvenience. Thank you for your patience and support as we respond to this ongoing matter," The Times said in a statement.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
