It appears that the worst of the ransomware attack that affected one of print comic books' major distributors could be close to a resolution. Diamond Comic Distributors has regained access to some of the systems that were initially taken down as part of what the company confirmed was a third-party ransomware attack that began on November 5.
On November 11, Diamond has regained access to its main website (www.DiamondComics.com), and it is now functioning for public usage.
A representative has also confirmed that the 'Retailer Services' portal which it uses to facilitate orders with its client comic shops and bookstores is also back online and functioning. Diamond's representative re-assured Newsarama that its clients' data and financial information was not stored on the affected systems, and has not been compromised.
Ransomware attacks are a computer technique in which third parties gain access to private data and restrict access to it by its owners unless a ransom is paid. Newsarama's colleagues at TechRadar have written about ransomware extensively, especially in 2021 as it's grown to cause severe issues not just for business owners but the general public as well through attacks on schools, hospitals, fuel suppliers, and more.
Diamond has previously stated that shipments for books going on sale this week and next week have been affected, but are using workarounds to get back up to speed. The delays caused by the ransomware attack are unrelated to the supply chain issues which led DC, Marvel Comics, and Image Comics to announce delays to their books.
Diamond continues to work with the technology solutions company Agility Recovery Solutions to completely mitigate the issue, and the company has said law enforcement has been notified.
While no longer the comic book industry's main distributor, Diamond remains a key primary (and in the case of DC and Marvel, secondary) distributor for comic books to comic shops, bookstores, and online booksellers like Amazon.
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