CWT pays hackers millions in ransom
Corporate travel firm CWT was stung for $4.5 million after being targeted by ransonware hackers.
According to Reuters, hackers paralyzed a large amount of data and demanded bitcoin payment to restore it.
They claimed to have knocked 30,000 computers offline.
CWT confirmed the cyberattack but understandably is saying very little about the incident.
"We can confirm that after temporarily shutting down our systems as a precautionary measure, our systems are back online and the incident has now ceased," CWT said in a statement.
"While the investigation is at an early stage, we have no indication that personally identifiable information/customer and traveler information has been compromised."
CWT said it immediately informed law enforcement.
Hackers infected the CWT system with a ransomware program called Ragnar Locker, which allegedly disabled thousands of computers.
The hackers had earlier demanded $10 million to restore the data.
It is unclear what data hackers had access to or if any of its major corporate customers were impacted.
Minneapolis based CWT posted revenue of $1.5 billion in 2019 and says its customer base includes more than one third of S&P 500 companies.
by Ray Montgomery, US editor
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season