Your company’s payroll service may have been crippled by attack

The online human resources management company UKG - Ultimate Kronos Group acknowledged that its cloud was hit by a ransomware attack and advised its clients it could take several weeks for them to regain access.

UKG said the attack affected parts of its business housed in the Kronos Private Cloud including UKG Workforce Central,  which allows employers to remotely track attendance, scheduling and process payroll.  Other affected programs are UKG TeleStaff, Healthcare Extensions and Banking Scheduling Solutions.

The company said programs not housed in the Private Cloud including UKG Pro, UKG Ready, UKG Dimensions, or any other UKG products or solutions do not appear to be impacted by the attack.

"Given that it may take up to several weeks to restore system availability, we strongly recommend that you evaluate and implement alternative business continuity protocols related to the affected UKG solutions," UKG Executive Vice President Bob Hughes wrote.

Some of the company's higher profile clients include Tesla, Marriott, Aramark and Sony Music. According to a UKG news release, NJ Transit began using UKG Dimensions in October 2020.

Several clients in the comments of the company's release expressed disappointment at a lack of communication from the company. One pointed out that the company suggested clients utilize their business continuity plans but didn't have one of their own.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ