TSTT on ransomware attack: Hackers tried but failed

NARISSA FRASER and RYAN HAMILTON-DAVIS

The Telecommunications Service of TT (TSTT) said in a release issued on Monday that hackers attempted to break into its cyber systems holding terabytes of data but were unsuccessful.

The statement came a day after Newsday reported that the nation’s leading full-service telecommunications provider was the subject of a cyber attack.

“On October 9, cyber attackers attempted to gain unauthorised access to TSTT’s systems,” the company said. “At the onset of the threat, TSTT’s incident response processes were swiftly activated. The company took immediate steps to minimise the security vulnerability, successfully isolating its systems and applications.

“These systems were subsequently quarantined, rebuilt and put back into production as part of clearly defined policies and procedures.”

The release added that TSTT also sought support from internationally recognised cybersecurity experts in investigating the attempted breach. The company has already implemented additional security measures and protocols, as advised by the experts.

“Cyber threats of this nature are a continuous feature of modern digital operating systems, and telecommunications infrastructure is no exception to these threats and incursions. TSTT has continuously invested resources in the millions of dollars in its processes and IT infrastructure to protect its systems and the data it produces and stores,” the release said.

Earlier reports suggested that TSTT was the victim of a ransomware attack. FalconFeeds.io, a company that monitors and reports on cyberattacks and threat intelligence, claimed on its X (Twitter) account that hackers who call themselves Ransomexx had added the company to its victim’s list, claiming it had more than four million files, with customers’ lines, ID scans and other files.

Reports were also made that a significant number of files with personal information such as phone numbers and addresses were also exfiltrated and posted on the dark web as evidence of having broken TSTT’s cyber defences.

However, Minister of Public Utilities Marvin Gonzales has denied that there was a hack, saying that the incident was “not true” when asked by Newsday.

TSTT, in its release, also denied that its security systems were breached.

“At this time, the company has not corroborated data currently in the public domain purported to be TSTT’s customer information, and it should be noted that the various TSTT platforms generate terabytes of data,” the release said.

In March 2022, there was a malware incursion at TSTT, but at that time, Gonzales had said no one's data was compromised.