Royal Mail hit by Russia-linked ransomware attack

Severe disruption to Royal Mail's overseas deliveries has been caused by a Russia-linked ransomware attack, the BBC has been told.

The onslaught has affected the machine systems Royal Mail uses to despatch deliveries abroad.

Royal Mail has been informing customers since Wednesday of disruption owed to a "cyber-incident".

Its latest proposal is for radical not to effort to nonstop planetary letters and parcels until the contented is resolved.

Ransomware is malicious machine bundle that encrypts information and locks up systems.

The ransomware utilized successful the onslaught is "Lockbit", according to a root adjacent to the investigation.

Computer information firms accidental the bundle has been developed and utilized by transgression gangs with links to Russia.

The BBC has seen a ransom enactment sent by the criminals to Royal Mail which reads: "Your information are stolen and encrypted'.

The ransom request is expected to beryllium successful the millions, though sources adjacent to the probe accidental determination are "workarounds" to get the strategy going again.

Ransomware attacks are a persistent menace to organisations astir the satellite implicit with attacks happening connected a astir regular basis.

But this concern is highly significant, arsenic Royal Mail is what is deemed "critical nationalist infrastructure" - that is, it is captious to the UK economy.

The onslaught is not conscionable affecting 1 institution and its customers, but the communications and businesses of citizens astatine location and abroad.

Ransomware crews typically ramp up unit connected firms to transportation funds successful a cryptocurrency specified arsenic Bitcoin to an anonymous integer wallet.

They volition person a deadline and are apt to beryllium threatening Royal Mail with the imaginable of having perchance delicate information published.

LockBit is thought to person beardown Russian roots but the hacker that carried retired the onslaught could beryllium anywhere.

Last November a Canadian/Russian antheral was arrested for allegedly carrying retired LockBit hacks from Canada.

A Royal Mail spokesperson declined to remark connected whether the onslaught was ransomware, but repeated warnings to customers that determination is nary extremity successful show to transportation disruption.

The steadfast is inactive incapable to nonstop letters and parcels overseas and says it is "working hard" to hole the issue.

There are besides insignificant delays to station coming into the UK, but home deliveries are unaffected.

It said that immoderate customers who had posted items overseas adjacent earlier the "incident" mightiness spot delays.

A National Crime Agency spokesperson said it was "aware of an incidental impacting Royal Mail" and was moving alongside the National Cyber Security Centre - which is portion of the UK's cyber quality bureau GCHQ - to recognize its impact.

The backmost bureau strategy that has been affected is utilized by Royal Mail to hole message for despatch abroad, and to way and hint overseas items.

It is successful usage astatine six sites, including Royal Mail's immense Heathrow organisation centre successful Slough, arsenic good arsenic its Bristol site.

Royal Mail has faced a fig of hurdles successful caller months including transportation delays arsenic postal workers onslaught implicit wage and conditions.