News
Northern Rail suspected ransomware attack
July 2021 by Chris Vaughan, Associate Vice President, Technical Account Management, EMEA at Tanium
It has recently been reported that Northern rail’s new self-service ticket machines have been targeted by a suspected ransomware cyber-attack. The machines were installed across stations in the North of England only two months ago and cost the organisation £17m. The ticket machines are currently down and an investigation is underway.
The Chris Vaughan, Associate Vice President, Technical Account Management, EMEA at Tanium which you are free to use in any coverage you publish on this news.
“This ransomware attack demonstrates that as the country reopens, numerous industries including the travel sector, will become attractive targets for cybercriminals. This is something businesses need to be aware of and prepared for. Having the right security defences in place to protect your IT infrastructure – including having back up mechanisms which are regularly tested – can significantly mitigate the damage of a ransomware attack. This can prevent or minimise the downtime of operations and company systems and therefore allow customers to remain unaffected, while the business recovers.
Endpoint visibility is another important capability for IT teams who are combatting these threats. This allows them to regularly monitor vulnerabilities and any suspicious activity. Such defences can help ensure that sensitive customer data remains safe, which is important in gaining customer trust and avoiding large fines from breaching regulations such as the GDPR.”
