Ransomware attackers demand $400,000 from Swiss website
The comparis website was disabled by ransomware attackers.
swissinfo.ch
A popular Swiss price comparison website has been shut down by ransomware attackers demanding $400,000 (CHF370,000) in cryptocurrencies to put it back online.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/mga
Comparis.ch, which racks up around 80 million visits a year, is used by consumers to compare prices on the likes of insurance and mortgage deals. The attack started on Wednesday and by Thursday had shut down the website, although the company said in a statement that it believed that no customer data was breached.
* By Friday, after this article was first published, Comparis said the website was back in operation. A Comparis spokesman told SWI swissinfo.ch that no ransom was paid.
The identity or location of the cyber attacker is not known and the ransom demand took the form of a URL implanted in a secure area of the IT system.
Ransomware attacks appear to be getting more frequent and with greater success worldwide.
High profile cases have also been making headlines: for example, when thousands of companies worldwide, including a supermarket chain in Sweden, were paralysed by a recent attack on United States IT services provider Kaseya.
US oil and gas company Colonial Pipeline was hit in May and had to pay a bitcoin ransom to get supplies back online, although the FBI said it had since recovered most of the cryptocurrency that was paid.
Last month, the world’s largest meat processor, JBL, faced major disruption to its operations before paying a ransom demand.
In Switzerland, rail company Stadler was attacked last year and suffered confidential data being made public because it refused to pay up.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Abbot of Saint-Maurice steps down following sex abuse report
This content was published on
Jean Scarcella has decided to step down as Abbot of Saint-Maurice in the Swiss canton of Valais, the abbey announced on Saturday.
Philipp Matthias Bregy named new president of Centre Party
This content was published on
Valais National Councillor Philipp Matthias Bregy is the new President of the Centre Party. The delegates elected him as the successor to Gerhard Pfister on Saturday in Bern without discussion.
Global call for active neutrality launched from Geneva
This content was published on
A number of players have launched a worldwide appeal for active neutrality in Geneva at a time when the major powers are taking a tougher line. The city is competing with Vienna to attract an international congress on this issue in 2026.
This content was published on
The M'Tongé gorilla has died at Basel Zoo at the age of 26. The dominant male had to be euthanised on Friday morning owing to a parasite infection.
This content was published on
Swiss Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter, who holds the rotating Swiss presidency this year, has been invited to Paris by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Swiss canton coordinates donations for landslide destroyed village
This content was published on
The Swiss canton of Valais to form committee to coordinate CHF 57.4 million donations for village destroyed by a landslide.
Body of Blatten landslide victim found and identified
This content was published on
The body of 64-year-old man, who has been missing since part of the Brich glacier collapsed on the Swiss village of Blatten has been found.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss electricity grid vulnerable to cyberattack
This content was published on
Swiss electricity providers are vulnerable to a Colonial Pipeline style ransomware attacks, says an energy ministry report.
Hackers demand millions in ransom for stolen Stadler Rail documents
This content was published on
The hackers who stole data from Swiss train manufacturer Stadler Rail in early May have demanded payment of a ransom of $6 million in Bitcoin.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.