Thousands of companies worldwide targeted in "global heist" cyber attack

A cyber attack called "global heist" targeted a flaw in MOVEit file transfer software, resulting in the hack of payroll data from thousands of companies worldwide, including British Airways, the BBC, and Boots.

The Russia-linked ransomware group Clop claimed responsibility for the attack.

Victims may be at risk of sophisticated identity fraud and blackmail threats, but companies should not pay ransoms to stop leaked data.

Prof. Ciaran Martin, former head of cyber security at GCHQ, advises against paying criminals and suggests they may try to monetize the stolen data.

Zellis, the UK-based payroll provider, did not disclose its affected clients, but BA, the BBC, and Boots confirmed their employees were victims.

Boots has around 52,000 UK workers, and the BBC believes its employees' bank details were not exposed, but their company IDs and national insurance numbers were compromised.