Company That Supplies Timesheet Software for ODOT Suffered Ransomware Attack Over the Weekend

The attack also affects major national clients like Tesla, Puma and Temple University.

A highway bridge across the Columbia River in The Dalles, Ore. (Christine Dong)
By Sophie Peel

The company that runs timesheet and payroll systems for big entities like Tesla, Temple University, Puma, and the Oregon Department of Transportation underwent a ransomware attack over the weekend.

The Florida-based company is Ultimate Kronos Group, and the outage will likely last weeks. This means ODOT is switching to an old-fashioned timekeeping method: paper timesheets.

“We have no reason to believe that any internal ODOT network systems are affected,” ODOT spokesman Kevin Glenn tells WW. “Starting immediately, employees are tracking their time using paper timesheets until the system is restored. Every employee will receive a December paycheck as planned.”

In a statement on UKG’s website, executive vice president Bob Hughes said suspicious activity was first detected Dec. 12.

“We are working with leading cybersecurity experts to assess and resolve the situation, and have notified the authorities,” Hughes said. “The investigation remains ongoing, as we work to determine the nature and scope of the incident.”

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