An attack against the MOVEit Transfer software has had a devastating impact on multiple high-profile organizations, such as Boots, British Airways and the BBC. First reported on June 5, 2023, it exposed personal information of employees at these organizations – names, addresses and national insurance numbers among others.
MOVEit Transfer is a file transfer software owned by Progress Software of Massachusetts that is used by businesses to securely move files between different locations.
Clop is a cyber attacker group notorious for targeting businesses and demanding ransom payments in exchange for stolen data.
The BBC, British Airways, and Boots have confirmed they were affected by a cyber attack. The BBC stated that personal data belonging to “significant majority” of its employees has been exposed; British Airways claimed some bank details may have been stolen while Boots stated a smaller percentage were exposed.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has recommended to organizations using MOVEit Transfer software that they update it with the most up-to-date version and implement safeguards such as multifactor authentication and data encryption to protect their data.
MOVEit Transfer’s cyber attack serves as a timely reminder of the importance of cybersecurity for businesses. Companies should take proactive steps to secure their data against such attacks by using strong passwords, implementing appropriate security measures, and keeping software current.
Here are some steps businesses can take to protect themselves from cyberattacks:
- Create strong passwords: A strong password should contain at least eight characters and include both upper-case letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Implement Security Measures: Multi-factor authentication and data encryption can help protect sensitive data from unintended access.
- Keep Software Up-to-Date: Software updates often contain security patches to address known vulnerabilities.
By taking these measures, businesses can better defend against cyber attacks and the data breaches that may ensue.