Travelex hobbles back online, one month after ransomware hit it hard

Graham Cluley
Graham Cluley
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Travelex hobbles back online, one month after ransomware hit it hard

Precisely one month ago, foreign currency exchange service Travelex was hit hard by ransomware.

The firm was hit by the ransomware attack on New Year’s Eve, knocking out its own systems and preventing other banks including Barclays, HSBC, Sainsbury’s Bank, First Direct, and Virgin Money from offering online currency services.

It’s been a long and sometimes painful journey, and Travelex’s communication strategy during the crisis was less than stellar, but its online presence is beginning to look a little more professional.

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Travelex website, Jan 31 2020

But the beleaguered company has not been able to restore all of its online services.

“You can now order travel money cash for store collection or home delivery however we are not able to offer our full range of services and products at this time.”

For instance, you cannot purchase a Travelex Money Card through the website, or reload it with more cash.

Behind the scenes I have no doubt that the company’s IT and security teams have been working like dogs to bring things back online for customers, whilst ensuring that tight security is in place.

Although it’s easy to criticise the company’s management and marketing departments for their crisis communications, it’s important to bear in mind that the real villains here are the ones behind the REvil ransomware attack. (By the way, Travelex has declined to say whether it has paid any ransom demand.)

Customers with more questions should check out the customer update published on Travelex’s website and the associated FAQs.

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Graham Cluley is a veteran of the cybersecurity industry, having worked for a number of security companies since the early 1990s when he wrote the first ever version of Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit for Windows. Now an independent analyst, he regularly makes media appearances and is an international public speaker on the topic of cybersecurity, hackers, and online privacy. Follow him on Twitter, Mastodon, Bluesky, or drop him an email.

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