Garmin services down, possible ransomware attack

A couple times I’ve been out in the wilderness, peaceful, quiet

All of a sudden a couple military jets fly over at low elevation, then several seconds later they’re gone and it’s quiet again.  Huge contrast.

They must have restored some old databases.  Tracks that I had deleted reappeared.  Better than the opposite.

News reports: Garmin paid multi-million dollar ransom to criminals

Garmin ‘paid multi-million dollar ransom to criminals using Arete IR’, say sources – Sky News
https://news.sky.com/story/garmin-paid-multi-million-dollar-ransom-to-criminals-using-arete-ir-say-sources-12041468

Garmin obtains decryption key after ransomware attack – Sky News
https://news.sky.com/story/garmin-obtains-decryption-key-after-ransomware-attack-12036761

Confirmed: Garmin received decryptor for WastedLocker ransomware – BleepingComputer
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/confirmed-garmin-received-decryptor-for-wastedlocker-ransomware/

These stories are mostly based on the Sky News and BleepingComputer reports:

Garmin reportedly paid millions to resolve its recent ransomware attack – Engadget
https://www.engadget.com/garmin-cyber-attack-ransomware-payment-180211805.html

Garmin reportedly paid multimillion-dollar ransom after suffering cyberattack – The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/4/21353842/garmin-ransomware-attack-wearables-wastedlocker-evil-corp

My comment: Often hackers price ransomware just below what they believe the company would lose in revenue and spend for system restoration, and the company gets their computers back much faster, making the business decision easy, if very troubling.

— Rex