Hackers can ‘cancel’ Christmas payday for THOUSANDS of people hit with ransomware – will my paycheck be affected?

Experts have warned that a RANSOMWARE attack could affect the way some employers are able to pay their Christmas wages.

Hackers hit one of the biggest HR companies over the weekend and it could be weeks before things get back to normal – here’s how to check if you’ve been affected.

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A ransomware attack typically involves a hacker encrypting a victim’s files and then demanding money so the victim can regain access.

The attack on human resource management software company Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG) has left some companies worried that they won’t be able to pay employees until the issue is resolved.

UKG is said to have around 50,000 customers globally.

It said it could take several weeks to restore its systems, meaning some companies that provide the software are finding it difficult to track hours worked and pay employees appropriately.

Will my salary be affected by the UKG ransomware attack?

The hack affected dozens of companies using Kronos Private Cloud software.

This includes government organizations.

Affected companies have been warned by UKG, so your job should know if it has problems paying you.

The hack is believed to have affected software used by healthcare systems, financial firms and public safety jobs.

Many companies have told their employees that they have been affected, so your employer should tell you if you will be affected.

Affected companies include the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority and hospital staff in San Angelo, Texas.

Several US universities have also reported being affected.

This includes the University of Utah, George Washington University, and Yeshiva University in New York.

Whether your wages are affected will depend on how your employer uses hacked software that is currently offline.

Your employer can send paper payslips while the Kronos software is down.

If your company is using it to track hours worked, you may be issued a general paycheck with base hours until the figures can be corrected.

Your employer should also notify you if any of your personal data was breached in the hack.

Erich Kron, Security Awareness Advocate at KnowBe4, told The Sun US: “The timing of this attack, so close to Christmas and other seasonal holidays and the end of the year, is bound to be overwhelming. significant force on organizations that have used impact on KPC services to manage payroll and other time-sensitive functions within their organization.

“Estimated downtime of several weeks can have a significant impact on organizations as they try to close out the year while managing not only base payroll, but also bonuses and calculations. Other annuals need to be done.

“Ransomware gangs often schedule attacks when organizations are short on staff due to holidays or when they are extremely busy, in the hope that the attack will take longer to detect. and the response time will be much slower.”

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