Hacker attack named as reason for Garmin services failure


07/27/2020

Services of the well-known manufacturer of smart watches and electronic devices for sports Garmin have not been working since July 23, writes the BBC.



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ZDNet portal reports that the failure was caused by a hacker attack. According to them, the attackers have encrypted the system data and are demanding a ransom. They often succeed in gaining access if an employee clicks on a malicious link.

The company does not officially confirm these messages.

Previously, Garmin users around the world were unable to load data from their devices into special applications, such as sports training data. The information remains in the memory of their devices, which continue to work, but the application offers more detailed data on activities, steps taken, records set, etc.

In addition, the failure affected the service for pilots of flyGarmin aircraft. Pilots using the service told ZDNet that they were unable to load the Garmin database into their navigation devices. According to the requirements of the US Federal Aviation Administration, the databases must be regularly updated, so flights are at risk. The Garmin Pilot app, which is used for flight planning, is not working either.

According to Garmin, due to the same glitch, the company's call centers are not working, so operators cannot receive calls, emails and messages in online chats on the site.

source: zdnet.com