Notorious ransomware gang accused of attack on UK’s Royal Mail

A Royal Mail worker delivers mail in Balham, London, on Jan 12, 2021. Britain’s postal service said it was hit on Jan 11, 2023 by a ‘cyber incident’ that's temporarily preventing it from sending letters or parcels to other countries. — AP

Prolific criminal hackers were behind a cyberattack on the UK’s Royal Mail that has shut down its ability to send international letters and parcels, according to two people familiar with the matter.

A ransomware gang known as LockBit targeted the British business and used encryption to lock some of its computers, rendering them inoperable, according to the people who asked not to be identified because the matter isn’t public. The gang usually demands payment to unlock computers it has compromised and often threatens to leak stolen data to pressure victims to pay. It’s not known how much money the group has demanded from Royal Mail or whether the company intends to pay.