Ingram Micro Attributes Ongoing Outage to Ransomware Attack

U.S.-based tech giant and managed services provider Ingram Micro revealed on Monday that a ransomware attack is at the root of its ongoing operational shutdown.

The cyber intrusion reportedly began on Thursday, crippling the company’s website and rendering most of its digital infrastructure inoperable. Ingram Micro provided a brief update by Saturday evening, indicating that work was being done to restore vital systems so that order processing could continue.

Ahead of Monday’s market opening in the U.S., Ingram Micro informed its shareholders of the security breach.

One of the top technology distributors in the world, Ingram Micro is based in California and offers IT gear and software all over the world. The company also delivers cloud-based managed services, often functioning as an outsourced IT department for small to mid-sized businesses.

The disruption is said to be affecting software licensing operations, preventing clients from accessing or deploying certain products that rely on Ingram Micro's systems.

While no major ransomware outfit has publicly claimed responsibility, cybersecurity news site Bleeping Computer suggests the incident may be linked to the SafePay ransomware group. It is common for such criminal groups to name their victims and leak stolen data fragments online to pressure companies into paying ransom demands.

As of now, Ingram Micro spokesperson Lisa Zook has not responded to requests for comment.