Royal Mail overseas services disrupted after a ransomware attack

Royal Mail Group Ltd, a British multinational postal service and courier company that delivers parcels and letters for over 500 years, has asked customers not to send international parcels and letters after a cyber attack from a notorious ransomware gang caused “severe service disruption” to international exports.

Reportedly, the LockBit group allegedly used encryption to lock some computers, and the attack shut down Royal Mail’s ability to send internationally. According to a source, the hackers broke into Royal Mail systems using malicious software to create dispatch notes for mail exported from the UK.

The company was directed to a LockBit website on the dark web to start negotiating payment in response to a note left by the hackers on some infected Royal Mail computers. The note threatened to publish the company’s data online if Royal Mail didn’t pay the ransom.

The business also warned that letters and packages traveling to other countries might be delayed because it was momentarily unable to dispatch export items. Royal Mail’s Parcelforce Worldwide brand still serves all international destinations, but customers should anticipate one to two-day delays. The domestic post has not been impacted, though.

According to Royal Mail, outside investigators have been brought in to assist with the investigation. The incident has also been reported to the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Crime Agency. Involved customers received an apology from the company for any inconvenience caused.

Notably, on Wednesday after the announcement, the share price of International Distributions Services, the parent company of Royal Mail listed on the London Stock Exchange, decreased, ending the day down 0.8%.

Although many UK-based online retailers rely on the company’s services, international parcel deliveries make up only a small portion of the company’s revenue. According to the most recent financial statements, the company delivered 152 million international packages in the year ending March 2022, or one-tenth of all package volumes. The company brought in £779 million in revenue from international parcels for the year, a significant decrease from the £1 billion generated in 2021.