The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is warning that it has suffered a cyberattack, which disrupted its computer systems and online operations, including email and the Logbook of the World.
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The ARRL is the national association of radio amateurs in the United States, representing amateur radio interests to government regulatory agencies, providing technical advice, and promoting events and educational programs for amateurs across the country.
On Thursday, the ARRL announced that it had suffered a cyberattack that disrupted network and systems, including various online services hosted by the organization, such as Logbook of the World.
“We are in the process of responding to a serious incident involving access to our network and our central systems. Multiple services, such as Logbook of The World and the ARRL Learning Center, are affected,” the ARRL explained in a press release.
Amateur radio enthusiasts use three-letter codes starting with the letter Q, which are called “Q” signals and act as abbreviations for phrases commonly used in radio.
For example, the code QSO is an abbreviation for “Can I contact _ directly” and is used to indicate a direct conversation between two stations. At the same time, QSL stands for “confirm receipt”, which means that the contact is confirmed.
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The Logbook of The World (LoTW) is an online database that allows radio amateurs to submit online logs of successful contacts (QSOs) and confirmations (QSLs) among other users worldwide. Amateurs can use these logs of successful contacts in LoTW for operator.
In a Friday update, the ARRL took steps to allay members' concerns about the security of their data, confirming that they do not store information or collect Social Security numbers.
However, the organization confirmed that its member database contains some private information, including names, addresses, and call signs. While they do not specifically state that email addresses are stored in the database, they are required in order for someone to become a member of the organization.
It is not known whether the organization suffered a ransomware or other cybersecurity incident.
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How can users protect themselves from cyberattacks?
Users can protect themselves from cyberattacks, such as the one that affected the Logbook of the World service, by using strong and unique passwords for each of their accounts. Regularly updating software and applications is also critical for security. Using antivirus and anti-malware can help detect and remove threats. It is important to always keep this software up to date. Enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security to accounts by requiring users to verify their identity in more than one way. Finally, backing up data on a regular basis can help recover information in the event of a cyberattack.
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Source: bleepingcomputer
