The Nine Network has been hit by a cyber attack, with hackers threatening news services nationwide in a targeted ambush.
The sophisticated cyber attack has brought the network’s news production systems around the country to a grinding halt.
Television and digital production systems have been offline since the early hours of this morning. This site, 9news.com.au, has also been affected.
The nature of the cyber attack — and if it is criminal sabotage or the work of a foreign nation — is still being investigated.
Nine, the publisher of this website, said the attack was affecting the network’s ability to produce news and current affairs, forcing contingency plans to be put in place.
“It has impacted our ability to go live to air on the Today Show this morning,” CEO Mike Sneesby said.
Earlier today, the Weekend Today show did not air during its usual 7am to 1pm timeslot.
In an email tonight, Nine Entertainment’s People & Culture Director Vanessa Morley instructed all employees to work from home indefinitely as the company deals with the cyber attack.
“Our IT teams are working around the clock to fully restore our systems, which have primarily affected our Broadcast and Corporate business units. Publishing and Radio systems continue to be operational.”
Last year alone there were 60,000 reports of cybercrime in Australia – that is one attack every 10 minutes.
But a cyber attack of this scale on a media company in Australia is unprecedented.
“There are about 30 cyber gangs working in Russia and they do about $2 billion worth of business every year from these type of attacks,” cyber security expert Paul Twomey told 9News.
The network hopes to be able to broadcast the Today show normally tomorrow morning.
This content first appear on 9news