Due to a cyber attack, the systems of the Heilbronner Voice and other companies in the voice media group, including echo, Regio Mail and voice press pressure, have been largely paralyzed since Friday morning. The police headquarters in Heilbronn is investigating. Interior Minister Strobl offered the support of cyber experts from the state of Baden-Württemberg. There is a six-page emergency edition of the newspaper for Saturday and the corresponding one E-Paper. Obituaries planned for the newspaper can be found on the media group’s obituary portal https://www.trauerundgedenken.de/ be viewed.
Hope for newspaper on Monday
The voice media group hopes to be able to produce a regular newspaper again next week. The IT department and external cyber experts are currently working on getting the paralyzed systems up and running again, said editor-in-chief Uwe Ralf Heer on Saturday. A regular newspaper edition could possibly appear as early as Monday. But that won’t be decided until Saturday. At the same time, alternative solutions are being worked on in order to resume production in the next few days.
The media group was the victim of a cyber attack on Friday night. Computer systems were encrypted. In an emergency edition published on Saturday, it was said that there was a letter of confession, which indicated an attempt at blackmail. It is believed to be a well-known cyber criminal group. A specific ransom demand had not been received by Saturday afternoon, Heer said. The police are investigating.
Letter of confession available
In the night on Friday there was a far-reaching system failure, which affects almost all production areas. A letter of confession makes it clear that it is an attempt at blackmail. The media group has not been available since the morning hours – neither by telephone nor by e-mail. All systems are blocked until further notice, including the system, editorial system, distribution system and other areas. The SWR also reported on the incident.
Cyber experts are investigating the processes
A crisis team has been set up and cyber experts are investigating the processes. The police and the Ministry of the Interior are involved in the investigation. All the data required for production is no longer available. The alleged perpetrators are a well-known cyber criminal group. Apparently they had been preparing this attack for weeks. No ransom demand was received. Usually, the perpetrators offer to fix the problem. In similar cases, publishers have been blackmailed with sums of up to seven figures.
Voice.de continues to report up-to-date
Almost all employees tried to work from home with private devices. To do this, new e-mail addresses have to be assigned and new processes set up, since all communication channels have been interrupted. Internet only stimme.de will continue to be reported. The payment barrier is suspended for the time being.
The e-paper, on the other hand, is also affected by the attack and cannot be read. The print production of the echo weekend edition cannot be produced either. “Nevertheless, we’re trying to distribute the leaflet inserts,” promises echo’s managing director, Carsten Lohmüller. The internet service echo24, on the other hand, is continuing as planned. In numerous interviews with SWR, dpa and Radio Ton, the editor-in-chief of the voice, Uwe Ralf Heer, explained the current situation.
Regular newspaper production is not possible until further notice
On Friday afternoon, an emergency team at the voice subsidiary Brettener Woche in Bretten was working on a six-page emergency edition. This will be printed in Karlsruhe and distributed to all households in the city and district of Heilbronn and in the Hohenlohe district on Saturday. The distribution of foreign newspapers – such as Süddeutsche Zeitung or Stuttgarter Zeitung – is also affected. These will not be delivered. The branches remain open as contact points for customers.
We officially work together with the police, data protection and external experts in order to be able to perform as quickly as possible with the usual quality. However, we cannot currently foresee whether we will deliver a newspaper every day in the coming week. Newspapers that are not delivered will of course be credited to the customer.
Publisher Tilmann Distelbarth
“We are currently doing everything we can to be able to produce and deliver a newspaper in the usual quality as quickly as possible. All customers can reach our service number as usual on 07131 615-615,” says Managing Director Marc Becker. As things stand, there will be no newspaper edition on Monday. “However, we are working on being able to offer an e-paper as soon as possible. Until then, however, we will ensure that comprehensive information about everything else that readers read in the newspaper is available on the Internet stimme.de to. The weekend staff of the editorial team continues to work and equip stimme.de with their current texts,” says editor-in-chief Uwe Ralf Heer.