Royal Mail has fallen victim to the Lockbit ransomware, which has hijacked systems used to send overseas shipments. Cyber criminals have demanded a ransom, report BBC.
“Your data has been stolen and encrypted,” reads the message from the hacker. The requested amount has not yet been released, but according to the BBC it could be in the millions. Lockbit is frequently used by cybercrime gangs with ties to Russia.
There is no export package for now
Royal Mail asks customers not to offer export packages at this time. The automated system for sending letters and parcels abroad has been “severely disrupted”.
Packages from abroad arrive in the UK, but Royal Mail warns that it can sometimes take longer. UK domestic mail delivery is not affected.
GLS
Royal Mail is one of the largest postal companies in the world and is also active in the Netherlands through its parcels subsidiary GLS. According to the company, thousands of UK businesses use the service to send parcels to customers outside the UK.
According to the BBC, the company is looking for a “workaround” to get the systems up and running again. Regulators and security services have been notified.
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