Cyberattack hits Ace Hardware

BleepingComputer reports that most IT systems of Ace Hardware have been disrupted by a cyberattack over the weekend, affecting many key operating systems of the U.S. multinational hardware store retailers' cooperative, including those for scheduling deliveries and processing additional orders. Impacted by the cyberattack were 1,202 of 3,500 networked devices, including 196 servers for managing orders, only 51% of which have been restored and are undergoing IT department certification, according to Ace Hardware President and CEO John Venhuizen. "I'd like to end by reminding you that all of this frustration and all of this effort is the direct result of a malicious cyber attack on Ace," said Venhuizen in an update sent to retailers. Ongoing restoration efforts have not deterred threat actors from facilitating further compromise, with retailers being subjected to phishing emails urging payments to another electronic payment address, as well as calls spoofing the agents of company contractor Epicor Software Corporation, noted Ace.