A data breach at Royal Mail has resulted in consumer information being shared with other users.
The Royal Mail suffered a data breach in its “Click & Drop” service, allowing users utilizing the platform unlawful access to other clients’ and companies’ parcel data. Click & Drop was temporarily disabled, but Royal Mail has restored it. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), a regulatory authority, has told Tech Monitor that it has not yet been made aware of the hack.
What happened?
On Tuesday, Royal Mail found the Click & Drop the issue. The company, which is owned by International Distribution Services (IDS), has stated that it has temporarily discontinued the platform and is investigating the problem.
“Royal Mail has temporarily suspended its Click & Drop website as a precautionary measure following reports that a limited number of customers were able to see information about other customers’ orders following a technical problem. We are investigating the incident in order to fix the IT issue so that you can post as soon as possible.”
During the investigation, the Royal Mail advised customers to utilize paper alternatives, offering a link to the necessary forms.
The interruption left business owners without access to a critical service, and many vented their rage on social media.
A spokesperson said:
“Royal Mail has restored its Click & Drop service as we have now fixed the IT systems issue. We temporarily suspended the website this afternoon as a precautionary measure following reports that some customers were able to see information about other customers’ orders following a technical problem. We apologise to our customers for any inconvenience.”
The representative declined to remark on the incident’s cause. Tech Monitor has inquired with the Information Commissioner’s Office about the Royal Mail data leak. According to the regulator, the Post Office has not yet provided an update. “Organisations must report the ICO within 72 hours of becoming aware of a personal data breach unless there is no harm to people’s rights and freedoms,” an ICO representative told Tech Monitor.