BBC, BA, Boots become cyber attack victims
The BBC, British Airways, Boots and Aer Lingus are among a growing number of organisations affected by a mass hack.
Staff have been warned personal data including national insurance numbers and in some cases bank details may have been stolen.
The cyber criminals broke into a prominent piece of software to gain access to multiple companies in one go.
There are no reports of ransom demands being sought or money stolen.
In the UK, the payroll services provider Zellis is one of the companies affected and it said data from eight of its client firms had been stolen.
It would not reveal names, but organisations are independently issuing warnings to staff.
In an email to employees, the BBC said data stolen included staff ID numbers, dates of birth, home addresses and national insurance numbers.
Staff at British Airways have been warned that some may have had bank details stolen.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre said it was monitoring the situation and urged organisations using the compromised software to carry out security updates.
The hack was first disclosed last week when US company Progress Software said hackers had found a way to break into its MOVEit Transfer tool. MOVEit is software designed to move sensitive files securely and is popular around the world with most of its customers in the US.
Progress Software said it alerted its customers as soon as the hack was discovered and quickly released a downloadable security update.
A spokesperson said the firm is working with police to “combat increasingly sophisticated and persistent cybercriminals intent on maliciously exploiting vulnerabilities in widely used software products”.
Follow Us on Facebook – @LadunLiadi; Instagram – @LadunLiadi; Twitter – @LadunLiadi; Youtube – @LadunLiadiTV for updates
