Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Sunday, Mar 15, 2026

US Broadcasts Interrupted as Cox Media Group Reportedly Hacked in Ransomware Attack

US Broadcasts Interrupted as Cox Media Group Reportedly Hacked in Ransomware Attack

Christopher Wray, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), asserted in a recent interview that he sees "a lot of parallels" between a recent string of ransomware attacks and the challenges posed by the terror attacks on September 11, 2001. Ransomware is a type of malware that utilizes encryption to hold the victim's data at ransom.

Cox Media Group, manager of radio and television stations in more than 20 markets in the US, has fallen victim to a ransomware attack that disrupted media streams across the country, according to several tech reports.

"This morning we were told to shut down everything and log out our emails to ensure nothing spread," an employee for the US media conglomerate told The Record on Thursday. "According to my friends at affiliate stations, we shut things down in time to be safe and should be back up and running soon."

However, not all stations are back to business.

WFTV in Orlando, Florida, and WPXI in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - both owned by Cox Media Group - remain limited in what they can do.

"We are only able to communicate with each other over personal phones and text messages," an unnamed WFTV employee told NBC News.

Employees at both stations were reportedly instructed to shut down their company computers and phones for the time being.

"Since then we've been locked out," a WPXI employee claimed, referring to access to the company server and email. "It's pretty crippling at the moment."

Cox Media Group has yet to issue a statement on the matter.

The alleged ransomware attack comes days after a ransomware attack triggered the temporary closure of all JBS SA beef plants in the US. The Brazil-based company is the largest meat processing company in the world.

A general view of the JBS USA Worthington pork plant in Minnesota, U.S., October 28, 2020


Earlier this week, FBI Director Wray told the Wall Street Journal that his intelligence agency is presently probing some 100 different ransomware incidents. Between a dozen and 100 organizations were reportedly targeted in the attacks.

Wray went on to tell the outlet that combating cyberattacks comes as a "shared responsibility" of private citizens, government agencies and the private sector.

"Time and time again, a huge portion of those traced back to actors in Russia," he claimed. "And so, if the Russian government wants to show that it’s serious about this issue, there’s a lot of room for them to demonstrate some real progress that we’re not seeing right now."

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has panned the FBI Director's comments as possibly "emotionally charged."

Peskov also highlighted that hackers and other cyber criminals exist across the globe.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Saudi Arabia Declares 2026 ‘Year of Artificial Intelligence’ in Major Push for Data-Driven Economy
Saudi Arabia’s 2018 Budget Signals Strong Push for Non-Oil Economic Growth
Pakistan Envoy in Riyadh Says Regional Diplomacy Intensifying to Prevent Wider Middle East War
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Dozens of Drones as Regional Strikes Kill Two in Oman
Saudi Arabia Redirects Oil Exports to Red Sea Ports as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Escalate
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Missile and Drone Barrage as Regional Conflict Intensifies
Iran Expands Drone and Missile Campaign Across Gulf as Conflict With US and Israel Intensifies
Muslims Worldwide Await Saudi Moon Sighting to Confirm Eid al-Fitr 2026 Date
F1 Calendar Faces Major Disruption as Middle East Conflict Threatens Bahrain and Saudi Races
Trump Says Most US Aircraft Hit in Saudi Base Attack Suffered Minimal Damage
Trump Says Most US Aircraft Hit in Saudi Base Attack Suffered Minimal Damage
Strait of Hormuz Crisis Forces Saudi Arabia Into Major Oil Production Shut-In
Strait of Hormuz Crisis Forces Saudi Arabia Into Major Oil Production Shut-In
Saudi Arabia Slashes Oil Output as Strait of Hormuz Crisis Cuts Deep Into Gulf Revenues
Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Scene Presses Ahead as Nation Navigates Regional War
Saudi-Pakistan Defence Pact Faces Real-World Constraints as Iran War Escalates
Saudi Arabia Offers Two Million Barrels of Crude From Red Sea as War Disrupts Gulf Exports
Formula One Faces Tens of Millions in Lost Revenue if Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Races Are Cancelled
Formula One Set to Cancel Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Amid Escalating Middle East War
Saudi Arabia Downs Dozens of Iranian Drones in Major Defensive Operation
Saudi Arabia Cuts Oil Output by About Twenty Percent as Iran War Disrupts Gulf Energy Flows
Formula One Set to Cancel Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Amid Escalating Iran War
Asian Energy Security Tested as Strait of Hormuz Disruption Threatens Oil Supplies
Iran Sets Three Conditions for Ending Regional War as Diplomatic Efforts Intensify
Saudi Arabia Launches Royal Institute of Anthropology to Examine Social Transformation
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Arrives in Saudi Arabia for High-Level Talks
Saudi Aramco Turns to Ukrainian Drone Interceptors to Shield Oil Infrastructure from Iranian Threats
UK Foreign Secretary Travels to Saudi Arabia to Reinforce Support for Regional Allies
Rising Iran Conflict Casts Shadow Over Saudi Arabia’s $38 Billion Gaming Industry Ambitions
Iran Launches Missile and Drone Strikes Across Gulf as Oil Prices Surge Past $100
Saudi Air Defences Destroy Three Drones Targeting Strategic Shaybah Oil Field
Debate Grows Over Saudi Arabia’s Role in Sudan War Amid US Alliance Questions
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Travels to Saudi Arabia After Discussions With Iranian Leadership
Two Strategic Pipelines Allow Saudi Arabia and the UAE to Bypass the Strait of Hormuz
US Deploys Bunker-Buster Bombs to UK Airbase as Iran Conflict Intensifies
Iran warns of $200 oil as forces target merchant ships in Gulf
Japan to Release 45 Days of Oil Reserves Amid Iran Conflict
Three Commercial Vessels Attacked Near Strait of Hormuz, Thai-Flagged Ship Damaged and Crew Evacuated
Saudi Red Sea Oil Exports Set for Record in March as Kingdom Reroutes Crude Amid Hormuz Crisis
Saudi Arabia Seeks Belgian Military Support After Iranian Missile Attacks
Saudi Arabia Welcomes US Decision to Designate Sudan’s Muslim Brotherhood as Terrorist Organisation
Saudi Aramco Plans Dual Gulf and Red Sea Export Routes as Iran Crisis Disrupts Oil Shipments
Saudi Cabinet Condemns Iranian Attacks and Reaffirms Kingdom’s Right to Defend Its Sovereignty
Ukraine Deploys Counter-Drone Teams to Gulf States as Iranian Drone Threat Expands
Bahrain Grand Prix Faces Uncertainty as Saudi Arabia Works to Keep Formula One Race on Track
Saudi Arabia Faces New Strategic Dilemma in Yemen as Regional War Reshapes Calculations
OPEC Confirms Saudi-Led Oil Output Increase as Iran War Disrupts Global Energy Markets
Pakistan Pledges Rapid Support for Saudi Arabia Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Global Energy Agency Announces Record Release of 400 Million Barrels to Stabilize Oil Markets Amid Hormuz Disruption
Aramco Warns Global Oil Market Faces ‘Catastrophic’ Shock if Strait of Hormuz Remains Closed
×