Major UK street newspaper and social enterprise The Big Issue had its systems confirmed to be impacted by a cyberattack days after the intrusion was admitted by the Qilin ransomware operation, which claimed the exfiltration of 550 GB of confidential files, reports The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.
Operational disruption stemming from the incident has been limited, sparing the magazine's publication and distribution, according to The Big Issue CEO Paul Cheal, who noted that early identification of malicious activity has prompted immediate system restoration efforts amid an ongoing investigation being conducted alongside the UK's National Crime Agency, National Cyber Security Centre, and Metropolitan Police.
"In addition, we have notified relevant regulators and would like to thank our staff, partners, and suppliers for their patience whilst our investigation continues," Cheal added.
Such a development comes amid the increasing prevalence of ransomware attacks reported to the International Commissioner's Office since 2020.
