Royal Mail has been unable to send letters and parcels overseas since Wednesday (11 January) due to a ransomware attack that affected its computer systems.
The organisation has advised people not to try to send international letters and parcels until the issue is resolved.
The attack has been claimed by LockBit, a hacker group widely thought to have close links to Russia. According to The Telegraph, the group was able to get the printers at a Royal Mail distribution site near Belfast in Northern Ireland to start printing ransom notes that threatened to publish the stolen information online.
The note said: “Lockbit Black Ransomware. Your data are stolen and encrypted.”
The back office system affected is the one used by Royal Mail to prepare mail for despatch abroad, and to track and trace overseas items. It is used at six sites, including Royal Mail's Bristol site and its huge Heathrow distribution centre in Slough.
The ransom demand is expected to...