Latest news with #WHTM
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Delta locks some customer accounts over security concern: What to know
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — If you have a flight with Delta Air Lines coming up, you may want to make sure you can access your frequent flier account before you head to the airport. The airline locked access to some customer frequent flier accounts because of cybersecurity concerns it learned of earlier in the week and didn't immediately notify those customers, based on similar information provided by two different reservations agents at different times Saturday to an affected customer, a reporter for Nexstar's WHTM. The potential security breach happened last week, based on the information provided. The reporter discovered the problem Saturday while trying to log into the airline's system to check in for a flight scheduled for Sunday. The login failed, as did an attempt to reset the password. This previously unreported issue occurred while Delta also worked to recover from a severe storm at its Atlanta hub, which caused the airline to cancel nearly 1,000 flights Friday and Saturday. The reporter called the airline's reservations center, where an agent immediately recognized the problem and said a known issue, regarding concerns about a potential security breach, had impacted a large number of customers earlier in the week, and those customers' accounts had been locked. The agent said the customer, like others impacted, had to upload a photo of a valid government ID (such as a driver's license) to verify his identity. The agent helped the reporter navigate to a form on the airline's website through which the photo could be uploaded. She said because of the large number of customers impacted, the requests were taking time to address; the reporter could call back later for further manual assistance over the phone if the issue wasn't addressed in time. 'Delta SkyMiles accounts are secure,' a company spokesperson said in a statement, responding to questions about the issue. SkyMiles is the airline's frequent flier program. 'As we do occasionally, out of an abundance of caution, we reset credentials for accounts and ask that customers verify them with us to maintain security of the accounts. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause.' A different agent later in the day, assisting the reporter further, also recognized the issue immediately and said about 68,000 customers had been impacted. The spokesperson declined to comment further. The 68,000 customers would represent fewer than 1% of Delta's approximately 130 million SkyMiles members, and it was unclear whether any accounts had actually been breached, as opposed to whether, for example, hackers had unsuccessfully attempted to breach the airline's systems. But two security experts said the airline's handling of the issue — locking customer accounts but not immediately notifying the impacted customers that they should attempt to reset their account credentials to regain access — was unusual. 'This is the first time I've ever heard of a company doing something like this without notifying customers,' Jonathan Weissman, a principal lecturer at the Rochester (New York) Institute of Technology's cybersecurity department, said Saturday night. 'It makes no sense that they would lock the accounts and not tell the customers that the accounts have been locked.' Weissman said companies often require customers to reset their passwords, even after successfully blocking hackers from accessing an account, but they typically notify customers immediately when that happens so the customers can address the issue calmly and at their convenience rather than when they have an immediate need to access the company's website or app. 'Locking the accounts is a good, safe measure,' Weissman said of Delta's initial step. 'But not communicating that fact to the affected customers can cause mass confusion and problems with people boarding flights eventually. The information should be forthcoming from [Delta], not in response to questions from customers.' Weissman said it's possible the airline doesn't know the extent of the issue, but if it knew enough to lock the accounts, it should have notified customers of that action and their need to set new passwords at the same time. Another cybersecurity expert, also speaking Saturday night, agreed. 'They need to come clean and do their best job of notifying everybody affected,' said Scott Schober, CEO of a New Jersey-based cybersecurity company called BVS and author of several books about cybersecurity. 'At a minimum, they could alert you so you can take action, and then provide more information as they learn it.' Less than half an hour after the first agent helped the reporter navigate the process of uploading the photo of his driver's license, he received this message: But the password reset didn't work. The reporter called and spoke with another agent who was also familiar with the issue and was able to help successfully reset the password, resulting in a successful account login. Delta is generally well-regarded among U.S. airlines, sometimes ranking higher than all others in customer surveys and analyses of metrics such as airline punctuality. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
a day ago
- The Hill
Delta locks some customer accounts over security concern: What to know
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — If you have a flight with Delta Air Lines coming up, you may want to make sure you can access your frequent flier account before you head to the airport. The airline locked access to some customer frequent flier accounts because of cybersecurity concerns it learned of earlier in the week and didn't immediately notify those customers, based on similar information provided by two different reservations agents at different times Saturday to an affected customer, a reporter for Nexstar's WHTM. The potential security breach happened last week, based on the information provided. The reporter discovered the problem Saturday while trying to log into the airline's system to check in for a flight scheduled for Sunday. The login failed, as did an attempt to reset the password. This previously unreported issue occurred while Delta also worked to recover from a severe storm at its Atlanta hub, which caused the airline to cancel nearly 1,000 flights Friday and Saturday. The reporter called the airline's reservations center, where an agent immediately recognized the problem and said a known issue, regarding concerns about a potential security breach, had impacted a large number of customers earlier in the week, and those customers' accounts had been locked. The agent said the customer, like others impacted, had to upload a photo of a valid government ID (such as a driver's license) to verify his identity. The agent helped the reporter navigate to a form on the airline's website through which the photo could be uploaded. She said because of the large number of customers impacted, the requests were taking time to address; the reporter could call back later for further manual assistance over the phone if the issue wasn't addressed in time. 'Delta SkyMiles accounts are secure,' a company spokesperson said in a statement, responding to questions about the issue. SkyMiles is the airline's frequent flier program. 'As we do occasionally, out of an abundance of caution, we reset credentials for accounts and ask that customers verify them with us to maintain security of the accounts. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause.' A different agent later in the day, assisting the reporter further, also recognized the issue immediately and said about 68,000 customers had been impacted. The spokesperson declined to comment further. The 68,000 customers would represent fewer than 1% of Delta's approximately 130 million SkyMiles members, and it was unclear whether any accounts had actually been breached, as opposed to whether, for example, hackers had unsuccessfully attempted to breach the airline's systems. But two security experts said the airline's handling of the issue — locking customer accounts but not immediately notifying the impacted customers that they should attempt to reset their account credentials to regain access — was unusual. 'This is the first time I've ever heard of a company doing something like this without notifying customers,' Jonathan Weissman, a principal lecturer at the Rochester (New York) Institute of Technology's cybersecurity department, said Saturday night. 'It makes no sense that they would lock the accounts and not tell the customers that the accounts have been locked.' Weissman said companies often require customers to reset their passwords, even after successfully blocking hackers from accessing an account, but they typically notify customers immediately when that happens so the customers can address the issue calmly and at their convenience rather than when they have an immediate need to access the company's website or app. 'Locking the accounts is a good, safe measure,' Weissman said of Delta's initial step. 'But not communicating that fact to the affected customers can cause mass confusion and problems with people boarding flights eventually. The information should be forthcoming from [Delta], not in response to questions from customers.' Weissman said it's possible the airline doesn't know the extent of the issue, but if it knew enough to lock the accounts, it should have notified customers of that action and their need to set new passwords at the same time. Another cybersecurity expert, also speaking Saturday night, agreed. 'They need to come clean and do their best job of notifying everybody affected,' said Scott Schober, CEO of a New Jersey-based cybersecurity company called BVS and author of several books about cybersecurity. 'At a minimum, they could alert you so you can take action, and then provide more information as they learn it.' Less than half an hour after the first agent helped the reporter navigate the process of uploading the photo of his driver's license, he received this message: But the password reset didn't work. The reporter called and spoke with another agent who was also familiar with the issue and was able to help successfully reset the password, resulting in a successful account login. Delta is generally well-regarded among U.S. airlines, sometimes ranking higher than all others in customer surveys and analyses of metrics such as airline punctuality.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Over $21 million awarded to Pennsylvania farms and food manufacturers
(WHTM) — Pennsylvania announced more than $21 million in federal grants for 77 farms and food manufacturers on Friday. Millions will benefit operations in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster and other counties. The funding comes from PA's Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program, a partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'Pennsylvania is investing to feed our future through a stronger local supply chain, which means healthier communities, thriving businesses, more job opportunities and more resilience in challenging times,' said Russell Redding, secretary of the PA Department of Agriculture. The grants support equipment upgrades, safety improvements and facility modernization, the department said. The program provides infrastructure grants for system-wide improvements that benefit groups of producers and equipment-only grants for critical upgrades and new purchases. Pennsylvania purchases development rights for 35 farms Investments in the Midstate include: Hollabaugh Bros. — $100,000 — Installation of a semi-automated apple-packing line to increase efficiency, reduce labor costs and expand into six new regional markets, benefiting over 40 local producers Keystone Tree Crops Cooperative — $80,802 — Expanding tree crop processing capacity with new equipment including nut hullers, crackers, mills and oil pressers. Knouse Foods Cooperative — $100,000 — Installation of advanced optical apple sorting machinery to improve food safety and processing efficiency, supporting 116 cooperative producers Rice Fruit Company — $1,250,000 — Constructing a controlled atmosphere storage building to extend fresh apple storage from 25 local and regional farms, reduce waste, and expand markets Country Food — $160,000 — Installing steam systems to expand shelf-stable yogurt production and support 60 local dairy farms Painterland Sisters — $1,250,000 — Upgrading equipment to double organic cream sourcing from Pennsylvania farms and increase skyr yogurt production Honey Bear Natural Foods— $91,650 — Expanding plant-based frozen dessert manufacturing with new chilling and freezing equipment, sourcing more local ingredients and building new retail partnerships Lady Moon Farms— $88,690 — Purchasing automated bagging equipment to expand organic pepper production and reach regional and national markets Cedar Meadow Farm — $449,898 — Constructing a packing house and cold storage to improve local produce quality and market access. Coddiwomple Canning Company — $96,530 — Expansion of custom preservation and delivery services to support fruit and vegetable farmers in 42 counties. Hess Bros Fruit Company — $100,000 — Software upgrade for enhanced inventory management and product traceability supporting more than 90 local orchards Reist Popcorn Company — $100,000 — Acquisition of ozone generation technology to improve popcorn processing efficiency, reduce waste, and support more than 15 producers. Taylor Chip — $510,971 — Launching ice cream production and expanding processing to new markets with support from local dairy farms More than 48,800 farms contribute $132.5 billion and almost 600,000 jobs to the Commonwealth. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
5 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Job finding websites CareerBuilder, Monster enter Chapter 11 bankruptcy
(WHTM) — The company behind the career-finding websites Monster and CareerBuilder announced it has initiated voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware. CareerBuilder + Monster announced Tuesday it has 'initiated a court-supervised sale process to maximize value, preserve jobs and seamlessly transition ownership of its businesses.' 'For over 25 years, we have been a proud global leader in helping job seekers and companies connect and empower employment across the globe,' CEO Jeff Furman said. 'However, like many others in the industry, our business has been affected by a challenging and uncertain macroeconomic environment.' He added, 'In light of these conditions, we ran a robust sale process and carefully evaluated all available options. We determined that initiating this court-supervised sale process is the best path toward maximizing the value of our businesses and preserving jobs.' According to Forbes, was one of the internet's first job board websites when it launched in the 1990s. In 2002, the company expanded when it acquired competitor for a reported $800,000, and it entered the pop culture landscape with Super Bowl ads and a joke in The Office episode 'Two Weeks.' As part of the Chapter 11 process, the company will sell its job board business to JobGet Inc. and sell its other web properties, the military-information site and the scholarship-finding site to Valnet Inc. Monster Government Services, which provides software services to government entities, will also be sold to Valsoft Corporation. The company says it is in the process of finalizing an agreement for up to $20 million in debtor-in-possession financing 'to continue to operate the business for purposes of effectuating the sales.' Furman also indicated a reduction in workforce as CareerBuilding + Monster embarks on the Chapter 11 process. 'I greatly appreciate our people, their contributions to CareerBuilder + Monster and the commitment and passion they have shown to our company, our clients and our colleagues,' said Furman. According to FOX Business, the company reported estimated assets as being between $50 million and $100 million, with estimated liabilities at $100 million to $500 million.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania lawmakers clash over closing ‘Delaware' tax loophole
(WHTM) — A Pennsylvania Democrat proposed a bill to close a loophole that allowed big businesses to avoid paying state corporate taxes by establishing holding companies in Delaware. The Delaware Loophole allows large corporations to use a tax strategy to avoid paying state corporate taxes by establishing holding companies in Delaware. Democrats are moving to close the loophole, saying it would generate hundreds of millions of dollars for Pennsylvania. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Republicans counter that it would only make Pennsylvania less business-friendly than it already is. '73% of corporations active in our state pay no corporate taxes to the Commonwealth at all,' said State Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler (D-Philadelphia). '73%. They exploit loopholes to cheat Pennsylvania out of desperately needed tax dollars.' Rep. Fiedler proposed House Bill 1610, which would close the Delaware Loophole. She says it's a simple fix. 'If a national company sells 25% of its goods or services in Pennsylvania, it should pay PA taxes on that 25%,' said Rep. Fiedler. The bill requires what's called 'combined reporting.' 'Combined reporting is double taxation,' Sen. Greg Rothman (R-Cumberland/Perry/Dauphin) responded. 'It's going to drive companies out of Pennsylvania, and it's not fair.' Combined reporting has been around since 2004. Pro-business groups hate it, as they argue that they don't 'pay their fair share.' 'If businesses weren't paying their fair share, you'd have more businesses moving into Pennsylvania,' said Rep. Aaron Bernstein (R-Butler/Lawrence). 'Instead, businesses have been challenged and have moved out of Pennsylvania because of our high tax structure, because of the complications with it. We need to make our tax structure more competitive. This bill does not do that.' Democrats argue they've made pro-business tax code tweaks in recent years. Republicans say they've made tweaks to close the loophole. Twenty-eight states, including New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia, have combined reporting. 'Red states like Texas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, and Utah. Blue states like Illinois, Michigan, Vermont, and Oregon,' said Rep. Mary Jo Daley (D-Montgomery County). However, in Pennsylvania, red and blue are not combining to move it. 'Everybody wants the lowest possible taxes,' said Rep. Michael Schlossberg (D-Lehigh). 'At the same time, we need to make the government operate.' Will Pennsylvania lawmakers legalize marijuana? Top lawmaker shares insight 'I look at this as just another tax hike on businesses in Pennsylvania,' said Rep. Keith Greiner (R-Lancaster). 'Incentivize and encourage people to come here.' House Democrats have the numbers to pass the bill in the House, which they expect to do on Wednesday. Then it's on to the Republican-controlled Senate, where the bill's fate is much more uncertain. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
