The Taiwan office of the GPS and wearable device manufacturer Garmin Ltd yesterday declined to confirm if a service outage had been the result of a ransomware attack, saying that it is working to restore its systems as quickly as possible.
Following reports that the company was the target of cyberattacks, the Olathe, Kansas-based multinational technology company said that it is working to resolve the issue and is unable to give an estimate of when its services would resume.
Garmin’s product support call centers have been unable to receive any telephone calls, e-mails or online chats, as they are also affected by the outage, Garmin said in a separate statement.
Photo: Reuters
The affected services include the health and physical training app Garmin Connect and the pilot navigational support app flyGarmin, the company said.
Customer data related to Garmin Connect would not be lost, as they are stored on the devices and would reappear when a user syncs their device once the service resumes, Garmin said.
The company also said that there is no clear indication that any payment or personal information has been stolen.
“Garmin has no indication that this outage has affected your data, including activity, payment or other personal information,” the company said in a statement.
Some tech Web sites have reported that the company has been hit by a ransomware attack, in which hackers block a victim’s access to its own data unless a ransom is paid.
ZDNet reported that after the incident began early on Thursday, “several Garmin employees took to social media to share details about the attack, all calling it a ransomware attack.”
“ZDNet has interviewed several [employees] and confirmed their claims,” the tech Web site said.
Employees writing on social media indicated that the company was attacked by WastedLocker ransomware and has been asked to pay US$10 million, according to news reports.
The attack has severely affected the company’s systems, while all of its computers have been shut down to stop the spread of the ransomware, the reports said.
Fitness enthusiasts took to social media to vent their frustration about not being able to use the service.
Some runners said online that while the outage does not stop them from training, not being able to use Garmin Connect means they cannot track their workout data or share their routes on Strava, a social network for runners and cyclists.
Forbes magazine described the incident as “a particularly painful episode.”
Additional reporting by AFP and AP
DIVIDED VIEWS: Although the Fed agreed on holding rates steady, some officials see no rate cuts for this year, while 10 policymakers foresee two or more cuts There are a lot of unknowns about the outlook for the economy and interest rates, but US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled at least one thing seems certain: Higher prices are coming. Fed policymakers voted unanimously to hold interest rates steady at a range of 4.25 percent to 4.50 percent for a fourth straight meeting on Wednesday, as they await clarity on whether tariffs would leave a one-time or more lasting mark on inflation. Powell said it is still unclear how much of the bill would fall on the shoulders of consumers, but he expects to learn more about tariffs
NOT JUSTIFIED: The bank’s governor said there would only be a rate cut if inflation falls below 1.5% and economic conditions deteriorate, which have not been detected The central bank yesterday kept its key interest rates unchanged for a fifth consecutive quarter, aligning with market expectations, while slightly lowering its inflation outlook amid signs of cooling price pressures. The move came after the US Federal Reserve held rates steady overnight, despite pressure from US President Donald Trump to cut borrowing costs. Central bank board members unanimously voted to maintain the discount rate at 2 percent, the secured loan rate at 2.375 percent and the overnight lending rate at 4.25 percent. “We consider the policy decision appropriate, although it suggests tightening leaning after factoring in slackening inflation and stable GDP growth,”
Meta Platforms Inc offered US$100 million bonuses to OpenAI employees in an unsuccessful bid to poach the ChatGPT maker’s talent and strengthen its own generative artificial intelligence (AI) teams, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said. Facebook’s parent company — a competitor of OpenAI — also offered “giant” annual salaries exceeding US$100 million to OpenAI staffers, Altman said in an interview on the Uncapped with Jack Altman podcast released on Tuesday. “It is crazy,” Sam Altman told his brother Jack in the interview. “I’m really happy that at least so far none of our best people have decided to take them
PLANS: MSI is also planning to upgrade its service center in the Netherlands Micro-Star International Co (MSI, 微星) yesterday said it plans to set up a server assembly line at its Poland service center this year at the earliest. The computer and peripherals manufacturer expects that the new server assembly line would shorten transportation times in shipments to European countries, a company spokesperson told the Taipei Times by telephone. MSI manufactures motherboards, graphics cards, notebook computers, servers, optical storage devices and communication devices. The company operates plants in Taiwan and China, and runs a global network of service centers. The company is also considering upgrading its service center in the Netherlands into a