CTS Cyberattack Throws Property Transactions into Chaos

On November 22, hackers launched a sophisticated cyberattack against CTS, the largest provider of managed IT services in the United Kingdom. The incident resulted in significant disruptions for numerous legal firms and severely undermined the real estate transaction process nationwide.

“We are experiencing a service outage which has impacted a portion of the services we deliver to some of our clients. The outage was caused by a cyber-incident,” representatives reported on Friday.

Experts are currently engaged in restoring the damaged infrastructure, but the exact timeline for system recovery remains uncertain. Those affected are being informed of the threat through specialized communication channels.

Preliminary assessments indicate that between 80 and 200 companies have fallen victim to this cyber onslaught. This conclusion was drawn by the media based on customer reports, although official data is still forthcoming.

O’Neil Patient, a partnering company, stated “This issue is impacting a number of organisations across the sector, as our provider is a specialist in secure legal systems for many law firms and barrister’s chambers. Progress has been encouraging with forensic experts and engineers actively resolving the issue.”

Details about the nature of the attack and the specific services of the CTS affected remain undisclosed. However, according to researchers, indirect signs suggest the involvement of ransomware.

Interestingly, one of the services CTS provides to its clients is cybersecurity, encompassing incident detection and response, support for email and corporate networks, employee training, and more.

CTS has not provided additional details. Currently, only the information shared by the team in an official statement on their website is known. The investigation is ongoing.