Travelex has taken its websites offline, preventing users from interacting with its services whilst the investigation is ongoing. The Metropolitan Police says its Cyber Crime team is leading the investigation into the attack. The result is the impression that Travelex were intentionally withholding that detail. To date, the company can confirm that whilst there has been some data encryption, there is no evidence that structured personal customer data has been encrypted. Travelex had to take down its website after the hack was discovered on New Year's Eve. The ransomware involved is particularly insidious, which Travelex has confirmed in a new statement to be Sodinokibi (it is also known as REvil). ... BBC News reported. Travelex was held to ransom by hackers in January after the cyber-attack forced it to turn off its systems. ", In a statement on Thursday, Travelex boss Tony D'Souza said: "We regret having to suspend some of our services in order to contain the virus and protect data.". © 2021 BBC. In a statement to the BBC, the bank said: "We're in close contact with Travelex so that we can resume our online service as soon as possible. The company says it is working with industry-leading cyber recovery specialists to fix the problem and insists it is doing all it can to keep its customers and employees informed. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Travelex has not reported a data breach to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) despite being targeted in a ransomware attack that has kept its … Should encryption be curbed to combat child abuse? VideoYoung teens in US react to getting first vaccine, Why this WW2 hero didn't get a Victoria Cross. Israel closes Gaza border after mortar attack, Spain sends troops as 8,000 migrants enter enclave, Russia spy chief suggests West behind cyber-attack. Travelex confirmed to the BBC that no direct communication had been sent to customers about the attack, partly because all the computer systems are offline. Travelex websites across Europe, Asia and the US have been offline since 31 December, with a message to visitors that they are down for "planned maintenance". "Travelex has proactively taken steps to contain the spread of the ransomware, which has been successful. A ransomware gang called Sodinokibi has told the BBC it is behind the hack and wants Travelex to pay $6m (£4.6m). Video, Russia spy chief suggests West behind cyber-attack, Young teens in US react to getting first vaccine. "If an organisation decides that a breach doesn't need to be reported, they should keep their own record of it and be able to explain why it wasn't reported if necessary.". Customers of Travelex say they feel let down after being left with no travel money from the company which is in the midst of a cyber-attack. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. On New Year's Eve, hackers launched their attack on the Travelex network. A ransomware gang called Sodinokibi has told the BBC it is behind the hack and wants Travelex to pay $6m (£4.6m). Have you been affected by the cyber-attack on Travelex? The company has said it is keeping its partners up to date on the response to the cyber-attack. Customers have not been sent any email communication about the cyber-attack, but queries are being replied to on social media by the company. ", A spokesperson for First Direct, which is owned by HSBC, said: "Unfortunately, our online travel money service is currently unavailable due to a service issue with third party service provider, Travelex. Travelex says that there is no evidence customer data has been compromised. The New Year's Eve cyber-attack on currency exchange bureau Travelex is disrupting services for UK bank customers. The quoted ransom demands are consistent for the gang's victims of Travelex's size. And while Travelex said no … A ransomware gang called Sodinokibi has told the BBC it is behind the hack and wants Travelex to pay $6m (£4.6m). The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said it had not received a data breach report from Travelex. The gang, also known as REvil, claims to have gained access to the company's computer network six months ago and to have downloaded 5GB of sensitive customer data. "Whist Travelex does not yet have a complete picture of all the data that has been encrypted, there is still no evidence to date that any data has been exfiltrated.". The hackers said: "In the case of payment, we will delete and will not use that [data]base and restore them the entire network. Russia spy chief suggests West behind cyber-attack. The firm’s website was still offline at press time, citing planned maintenance. "If an organisation decides that a breach doesn't need to be reported, they should keep their own record of it and be able to explain why it wasn't reported if necessary.". Plagued by a sophisticated ‘hands on keyboard’ ransomware attack, Travelex initially declared … Virgin Money's site showed an error message, which said: "Our online, foreign currency purchasing service is temporarily unavailable due to planned maintenance. In a statement, the force said: "On Thursday, 2 January, the Met's Cyber Crime Team were contacted with regards to a reported ransomware attack involving a foreign currency exchange. The gang, also known as REvil, claims to have gained access to the company’s computer network six months ago … Should encryption be curbed to combat child abuse? Israel's military is preparing for more strikes on Hamasâs tunnel network in Gaza, a spokesman says. Two days later, Travelex contacted the Metropolitan police, seeking help to resolve the situation. The hackers behind the recent Travelex attack didn’t wait that long to sound the GDPR and privacy alarms, and bring into light, new implications around transparency and timely notifications of data breaches.. ", Sainsbury's Bank also said its online travel money services were unavailable, although it said customers could still buy travel money in its stores. As a result, the company took down its websites across 30 countries to contain "the virus and protect data". Travelex reportedly paid hackers $2.3 million to regain access to its own computer systems after they were compromised in a ransomware attack that was discovered on New Year’s Eve. Read about our approach to external linking. Russia spy chief suggests West behind cyber-attack. A ransomware gang called Sodinokibi carried out the attack. "With what we know about the incident and the hackers' mode of operation in the past paints a consistent picture, which leads me to believe that REvil indeed hit Travelex," he said. Travelex was affected by a form of ransomware called Sodinokibi, but said that it didn’t pay any money to the hackers. A spokeswoman added: "Organisations must notify the ICO within 72 hours of becoming aware of a personal data breach unless it does not pose a risk to people's rights and freedoms. The system will be back online shortly. This may have been the intention of Travelex, but is appears their hand was forced to divulge that this was indeed ransomware because the attackers themselves reported it to the BBC. Travelex went into British administration after a damaging ransomware attack on New Years Eve. Money exchange Travelex is facing worldwide disruption after IT systems were attacked by malware which left critical files encrypted. The criminals behind the hack told the BBC they are demanding $6m (£4.6m) or company computer systems will be deleted and customer data sold online. Image Source: www.stocksharksnew.com. "Stealing data essentially gives threat actors additional bargaining chips when it comes to dealing with companies unwilling to pay the ransom. Dates of birth, credit card information and national insurance numbers are all in their possession, they claim. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. The recovery operation is being co-ordinated from a Travelex office in the UK and the company insists that no customer data has been leaked. Under General Data Protection Regulation, a company that fails to comply can face a maximum fine of 4% of its global turnover. The ransomware operators contacted the BBC and said they want Travelex to pay $6m (£4.6m). Travelex took all its systems offline as a precautionary measure after being hit by what it initially described as a "software virus" on December 31.On January 7, the company released a statement fingering the culprit as a type of ransomware … Inquiries into the circumstances are ongoing.". "The deadline for doubling the payment is two days. A Travelex currency exchange counter at the Manchester Airport in Britain. Cashiers have been resorting to using pen and paper to keep money moving at cash desks in airports and on high streets but orders online have been affected. Travelex down to pen and paper as it suffers ransomware attack. Ransomware attacks on Carnival, CWT, Garmin, and Travelex suggest that the travel sector might be underestimating its security risk exposure. April 16, 2020 Foreign currency exchange service Travelex paid $2.3 million in ransom to REvil ransomware gang in January after the hacker group encrypted the company’s files, the Wall Street Journal has reported. BBC Worklife: The professional stakes of using profanity, Eurovision winner says contest is history for him, Shaking China skyscraper sends shoppers fleeing1, Ariana Grande gets married in 'intimate' ceremony2, Supermodel Campbell becomes mum to baby girl3, Spain sends troops as 8,000 migrants enter enclave4, US police shooting of black motorist 'justified'5, Israel closes Gaza border after mortar attack6, Biden's tax return shows steep fall in income8, Darwin's Arch in Galapagos Islands collapses9, The woman who unseated a prime minister of 20 years10. Dates of birth, credit card information and national insurance numbers are all in their possession, they say. According to the BBC, the ransomware gang claimed to be behind the attack was called Sodinokibi, who called for the firm to pay £4.6m, having downloaded vast numbers of sensitive customer data, which included dates of birth, credit card information and national insurance numbers. Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. The BBC reported that the ransomware gang has given up to 2 days for Travelex to pay the ransom, then another 7 days or face the sale of the customer’s data on the dark web. We return to brevity vs clarity. Israel's military is preparing for more strikes on Hamasâs tunnel network in Gaza, a spokesman says. Under General Data Protection Regulation, a company which fails to comply can face a maximum fine of 4% of its global turnover. But, it said: "Existing cards continue to function as normal and customers in the UK can continue to spend and withdraw money from ATMs. The company has since told the BBC that its systems are currently down and it is unable to sell or reload its pre-paid travel cards. The idea is to weaponise the hefty fines associated with GDPR violations to pressure the company into paying.". The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said it had not received a data breach report from Travelex. Then another seven days and the sale of the entire base.". Read about our approach to external linking. The Metropolitan Police is leading the investigation into the attack. "We apologise to all our customers for any inconvenience caused as a result," Mr D'Souza said in the statement. "For customers who have ordered money online, please contact Travelex customer services by phone or via social media to discuss their individual situation and requirements. Key Points U.K.-based currency exchange company Travelex experienced a ransomware attack that crippled the company’s online presence and locations across the U.S., European Union and Asia. A spokeswoman added: "Organisations must notify the ICO within 72 hours of becoming aware of a personal data breach unless it does not pose a risk to people's rights and freedoms. Sodinokibi contacted the BBC on Tuesday (Jan. 7), claiming responsibility for the attack that caused Travelex to shut down last week. Read about our approach to external linking. Travelex had said little publicly since hackers held its systems to ransom by encrypting its digital files, reportedly demanding $6m (£4.6m) to unlock that data. Travelex’s stores, airport counters and exchange services were forced offline by a ransomware attack on New Year’s Eve. Travelex has not said whether or not they are negotiating with the hackers and have not given any timeframe for when normal service will resume. In response to the cyber-attack, which was first discovered on New Year's Eve, Travelex took all computer systems offline, affecting thousands of sites in dozens of countries. What happens to your body in extreme heat? VideoRussia spy chief suggests West behind cyber-attack, Six hospitals, three days and a Covid nightmare, Israel defends Gaza strategy as death toll mounts, Young teens in US react to getting first vaccine. "The Travelex UK website still only says 'planned maintenance', a week after the problems began - many customers will be completely unaware hackers gained access to their network, and allegedly their personal data," he said. Travelex said: "Whilst the investigation is still ongoing, Travelex has confirmed that the software virus is ransomware known as Sodinokibi, also commonly referred to as REvil. Israel closes Gaza border after mortar attack, Spain sends troops as 8,000 migrants enter enclave, Russia spy chief suggests West behind cyber-attack. Rising Trend in Double Ransoms. Supermodel Campbell becomes mum to baby girl1, Shaking China skyscraper sends shoppers fleeing2, Spain sends troops as 8,000 migrants enter enclave3, Israel closes Gaza border after mortar attack4, US police shooting of black motorist 'justified'5, Don't holiday in amber list countries, says PM8, Ariana Grande gets married in 'intimate' ceremony9, The woman who unseated a prime minister of 20 years10. Travelex's decision to take down its site has meant the large network of other firms that use its services cannot sell currency online. "There has been no communication from Tesco bank, so I called them. Travelex employees have told BBC News the company has been left “shell-shocked” by the continuing ransomware cyber-attack. The ransomware gang revealed that they have obtained the date of birth, national insurance numbers and credit card details of customers. Travelex, currency exchange desk at Hong Kong International Airport. Visitors to the Travelex UK website are told that the site is down for "planned maintenance" and partner sites, including Sainsbury's travel money, have similar messages. "I ordered over £1,000 of euros from Tesco bank online for collection in my local Tesco store on 31 December, ready to be collected on 3 January," Ms Whiting told the BBC. Travelex admits it has fallen victim to ransomware but denies any suggestion of … However, a Travelex spokeswoman said on Tuesday night in a statement: "Whilst the investigation is still ongoing, Travelex has confirmed that the software virus is ransomware known as Sodinokibi, also commonly referred to as REvil.". ", Bank currency services hit by Travelex site attack, Cyber-attack forces company to use pen and paper, Israel poised for night strikes on Hamas tunnels. "The REvil/Sodinokibi group has been a quite sophisticated group for a long time now. Travelex’s parent Finablr is washing its hands of the ransomware-stricken forex provider as it struggles with the twin shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic and a … On Tuesday, the foreign currency trader confirmed that it is the victim of a ransomware attack. According to Fabian Wosar, a ransomware expert at cyber security company Emsisoft, the attack has all the hallmarks of the REvil gang. Video, Young teens in US react to getting first vaccine, Supermodel Campbell becomes mum to baby girl, Shaking China skyscraper sends shoppers fleeing, US police shooting of black motorist 'justified', Don't holiday in amber list countries, says PM, Ariana Grande gets married in 'intimate' ceremony, The woman who unseated a prime minister of 20 years. They simply say there is nothing they can do, that I must just wait until the problem is rectified, whenever that will be. The gang, also known as REvil, claims it first gained access to the company's computer network six months ago and has since downloaded 5 gigabytes of sensitive customer data. Travelex says it is working with police and has deployed teams of IT specialists and external cyber-security experts who have been working continuously. General data Protection Regulation, a spokesman says border after mortar attack, Spain sends as... 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