Communications Workers Union says cyber attack affected email systems and member data

The UK’s Communications Workers Union said it experienced a significant cyber security incident that affected its communication channels, including email systems.

 

The Communications Workers Union (CWU) represents thousands of employees across all sectors in the UK, with the majority of its members belonging to the tech and telecom industry.

 

Recently, the Register reported that CWU disclosed a serious IT outage last week that affected its email services. The union said it launched an investigation to determine whether it experienced a cyber attack or a genuine IT outage. It also engaged third party cyber security experts to assess the situation and understand the nature and scope of the same.

 

When asked initially whether the union thinks it’s a cyber security incident or if the outage is a result of a ransomware attack, Chris Webb, head of communications of CWU told The Register, “We don’t know.”

 

Webb later admitted that the union did suffer a cyber security incident. “We can confirm that The CWU has been the victim of a cyber attack on parts of our IT systems,” he said.

 

“Some CWU member data is held within the IT systems that were targeted. At this point, we do not know if a breach of this personal data has occurred. We have advised members to be vigilant against the risk of phishing emails that they may receive.

 

“Our specialist cybersecurity advisers are working on a digital forensic analysis of our systems to determine precisely what has occurred. They will also assess what the next steps are and establish timelines to restore the union’s IT infrastructure. The cyber security team will remain on site for the coming days. We will continue to communicate with members as we respond to this incident,” he added.

 

Sources informed the media house that the security incident affected several departments, including the Union’s finance and payroll teams. Webb, however, denied such claims, stating they were “in dreamland” and that they “shouldn’t be trusted.”

 

CWU has notified the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) about the incident and is working with it to resolve the situation. “The Communications Workers Union has made us aware of an incident and we are assessing the information provided,” an ICO spokesperson said.