Royal Mail is investigating a data breach involving a third-party supplier, Spectos, which has exposed sensitive information. The breach was allegedly revealed by a cybercriminal named “GHNA” on the BreachForum, where 144GB of data was published. This data included personally identifiable information (PII) of Royal Mail customers, delivery information, and internal company documents, such as Zoom recordings between Royal Mail and Spectos. The attack appears to have used credentials compromised through an infostealer malware infection in 2021.
Spectos confirmed the breach on April 1, stating unauthorized access to its systems had occurred, but there was no internal attack. The company has engaged cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident further and prevent future risks. Royal Mail responded by confirming its awareness of the breach and ongoing cooperation with Spectos to assess the impact. Despite the breach, Royal Mail’s operations and services were unaffected, and no disruptions occurred in its postal services.
Hudson Rock, a cybersecurity firm, linked the breach to stolen credentials from a Spectos employee in 2021. These credentials were used to access Royal Mail’s systems, which led to the exfiltration of sensitive data. The data leaked on the forum contains detailed metadata from Mailchimp, logistics and delivery information, and technical server files. The breach highlights the long-term consequences of compromised credentials and the vulnerability of third-party providers to cyberattacks.
This incident follows previous cybersecurity challenges for Royal Mail, including a major ransomware attack in January 2023. The breach’s full scope and the authenticity of the leaked data are still under investigation. Both Royal Mail and Spectos are working to determine if mitigation measures have been taken or if affected individuals need to be notified. The investigation is ongoing, and further updates are expected.
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