The Royal Mail halted parts of its operations due to a disruption in its services caused by a cyber attack. Customers were advised to expect delays in shipping for packages sent to areas outside the UK.
Extent of the Disruption
UK's leading mail delivery service detected the incident on January 10th and will continue to deliver and collect packages domestically, as it remains unaffected by the attack. According to a Royal Mail spokesperson, operations are ongoing but may be subjected to minor delays.
This goes for packages that have been sent and are yet to be sent out by the mail service. Dispatch for items that haven't been exported overseas before the attack is also suspended until the issue has been resolved.
The Royal Mail did mention that Parcelforce Worldwide export services are operational to destinations outside the UK, but deliveries may experience setbacks of one or two days, according to Bleeping Computer. This goes for both marcels and letters.
The delivery service asked customers to refrain from submitting any export letters and parcels to overseas destinations in the meantime. Export deliveries that have already been sent out before the attack will also experience delays.
The Royal Mail hasn't disclosed much about the hacking incident, but they expressed that customers will be updated as soon as they have more information. They immediately launched an investigation to look into the attack.
What Are They Doing to Resolve the Issue?
Apart from the ongoing investigation within their systems, Royal Mail also consulted with external experts. Relevant authority securities and regulators have already been notified of the incident, as mentioned in Computer Weekly.
The National Security Center is already assisting with the assessment of the attack. A spokesperson mentioned via Twitter that they were working with Royal Mail Group Ltd along with the National Crime Agency, hoping to understand the full impact of the attack.
What Are Your Alternatives?
If you're bothered by the delays or halts brought about by the incident, the UK has many other delivery services you can opt for. Some may not be as fast or convenient, but they will still get the job done, as suggested by Create.
If you don't feel like heading to the service's local shops to drop off your package for shipment, you can try out iPost Parcels. They can label your parcel and arrange the pickup for you. You can also track the whereabouts of your package.
You can choose to drop off the item at one of their 52 locations. A 1-kilogram parcel will cost you £4.19 and will be delivered to the recipient in two to three days. You can also add an extra pound for their next-day delivery services.
Whistl is also a good delivery service especially if your package is for business. They process around 26% of the mail in the UK, and can offer various services depending on the letter or the size of the packages you want to send out.
The delivery service is also ideal if you don't have the time to drop the package off at their local shops yourself. They offer door-to-door service so the receiver of the parcel or letter won't have to pick it up in their locations as well.
