Navigation and wearable device company Garmin experienced a widespread outage after a successful ransomware attack July 23.
Recent reports have confirmed that the outage was caused by WastedLocker, a ransomware often used to specifically target and disrupt business operations, and closely associated with Evil Corp, the hacking group behind a $100 million crime spree that began in 2011.
Evil Corp was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in 2019, rendering any payment made to the group illegal under US Federal law.
The outage impacted several services connected to fitness devices, call centers, aviation, and navigation.
“We are currently experiencing an outage that affects Garmin.com and Garmin Connect. This outage also affects our call centers, and we are currently unable to receive any calls, emails or online chats,” says the message currently displayed on the Garmin.com homepage. The company has yet to provide further details.
One of Garmin’s subsidiaries, Garmin Southern Africa, disclosed in 2019 that it had been breached by hackers in a Magecart e-skimming attack that stole payment and personal data from customers. It is unknown if this incident is related.
