A week after the start of a major IT crisis, the British Post Office is still in turmoil. Following a “cyber incident”, the Royal Mail is still unable to export mail and parcels internationally, while remaining able to receive items from across the Channel.
On Tuesday, CEO Simon Thompson confirmed to British MPs that the company was facing a cyberattack.
But, reports TechCrunch, the leader did not give details of the computer attack so as not to hinder the ongoing investigation.
Customer complaints
This incident is a reminder of how a hack can destabilize a critical infrastructure operator, and therefore an entire country. Companies, for example, have complained about a lack of information and significant financial consequences for their activities. According to the BBC, the Royal Mail usually sends around 200,000 parcels overseas every day.
If the computer attack was attributed by the English press to the LockBit gang, the communication of this criminal group was very fluctuating. After denying involvement in the hacking, one of the gang’s representatives admitted that one of its affiliates was behind the attack.
However, the criminal group has not yet formally claimed piracy on its site.
Brief communication
Britain’s Post Office, which has asked its customers to delay their mailings, has also not confirmed the use of ransomware.
“Our teams continue to work around the clock to resolve this disruption and we will update you as soon as we have more information,” the company adds in a succinct message posted on its site.
Several British agencies were mobilized to respond to this serious computer incident, from police officers from the National Crime Agency to cybersecurity experts from the National Cyber Security Center, the equivalent of Anssi.