Ampersand confirmed ransomware attack claimed by Black Basta

Ampersand, the television advertising sales and data company jointly owned by Comcast, Charter Communications and Cox Communications, confirmed in October 2023 that it had been hit by ransomware.

The Black Basta group claimed the attack on October 16, 2023, according to security researcher Dominic Alvieri, who tracked the leak site listing. The gang did not say how much data it had taken and published no proof samples at the time.

Ampersand said the incident had briefly interrupted regular business operations and that it had since restored the majority of them. The company said it was working with third-party advisers and with law enforcement. It declined to say when the attack occurred or whether it would pay a ransom, and released no further detail about the intrusion.

The company supplies viewership data covering roughly 85 million United States households across more than 165 networks and has operated since 1981, giving it a central position in the local television advertising market. It was not publicly established what, if any, customer or viewership data was exfiltrated.