Organisation says that no public funds will be used to pay ransom
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has confirmed that it is continuing to respond to an ongoing ransomware attack that has encrypted files, disrupted systems and seen 1.2 GB of data stolen by cybercriminals.
SEPA says it was hit by ransomware at 00:01 on Christmas Eve, December 24 2020 – timing presumably chosen deliberately by the attackers in an attempt to take advantage of what would – within many organisations – be a time when there are fewer staff working.
The organisation’s contact centre, internal systems, processes and internal communications have been impacted by the attack, and it is anticipated that systems will continue to be affected for some time as they are rebuilt from scratch. In the immediate aftermath of the attack, SEPA advised those who needed to report urgent pollution issues to use Twitter or Facebook.
SEPA’s responding to a significant cyber attack affecting our contact centre and internal systems. Core regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting & warning service continue but communication into organisation is significantly impacted. More information at https://t.co/KBFs7KbyKM pic.twitter.com/j9iHnnE2Mg
— Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) (@ScottishEPA) December 24, 2020
Scottish police and the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have been informed of the security breach, and are providing assistance.
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