Dutch accounting services giant Wolter Kluwer recently suffered attack malware The cyberattack took systems offline and shut down internal access to several databases. The attack led customers to express concerns about the security of tax and financial information stored on Wolter Kluwer’s servers.
Wolter Kluwer's cloud accounting software is used by major U.S. accounting firms and banks. It's not yet clear what type of malware or ransomware infected the company's systems. The company confirmed it was the target of a malware attack, adding that it has not yet seen evidence that customer data was stolen by hackers. Wolter Kluwer also added that while it is still investigating the incident, the company believes that customers were likely not infected through its apps.
The cyberattack began at 8:00 a.m. ET on Monday and disrupted the company's communications systems, spreading like wildfire across its networks. The company said many of its systems were taken offline to prevent the attack from spreading.
Wolter Kluwer's reluctance to provide more information about the attack appears to have disappointed its customers.
It is still unclear what triggered the attack and the extent of the potential damage caused by the malware. However, journalist Brian Krebs reported that he had alerted Wolter Kluwer's security team to a potential security breach two days before the malware attack. Krebs highlighted to the accounting firm's security team the risk of publicly accessible databases containing new versions of Wolter Kluwer's CCH software.
