BBC reports* that 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 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.
This situation represents a common occurrence of a supply chain attack that aims at multiple companies simultaneously, compromising highly sensitive employee data. It is crucial for all affected companies to have already installed the essential security patch in order to maintain adequate protection.
The stolen data emphasizes that intermediary companies frequently become prime targets for large-scale attacks designed to pilfer personal information. As a result, other companies must exercise increased vigilance against similar attacks and ensure the ongoing update of their systems. Additionally, individuals affected by such breaches should remain cautious and actively guard against phishing attempts.While this seemed like a UK-focused campaign, we can expect the bad actors to exploit the vulnerability globally and witness similar campaigns in the upcoming days and weeks in other countries too. The severity of the situation has been underscored by the fact that even CISA published a specific warning for the CVE , which the organization rarely does.
*ESET does not bear any responsibility for the accuracy of this information.
ESET Ireland 