(Adds details from statement)
Jan 13 (Reuters) - Travelex is restoring operations to
process foreign exchange orders electronically, it said on
Monday, almost two weeks after cyber hackers took hold of its
systems, leading to a global blackout of its online services.
Staff at Travelex were forced to use pen and paper to serve
thousands of customers after ransomware forced the company to
take all its systems offline, causing chaos for New Year
holidaymakers and business travellers seeking online currency
services.
"We continue to make good progress with our recovery and
have already completed a considerable amount in the background,"
Travelex, owned by Finablr Plc, said in an email.
"We are now at the point where we are able to start
restoring functionality in our partner and customer service."
The currency trader said it had restored some of its
internal and order processing systems and was providing refunds
to customers "where appropriate".
Travelex also provides forex services for customers of HSBC
, Barclays, Virgin Money and the
banking arms of British retailers Tesco and Sainsbury
.
The company, which has a presence in more than 70
countries, had been forced to serve customers face-to-face at
1,200 locations worldwide.
Travelex said on Monday it will continue to communicate with
partners about restarting services and "provide a roadmap"
setting out its next steps.
The company said it has been able to honour most online
orders for collection in store after being hit by ransomware
called Sodinokibi and has contacted those affected to make
alternative arrangements.
Travelex said it was working with authorities including the
National Cyber Security Centre and London's Metropolitan Police.
The police have launched a criminal investigation.
"Based on Travelex's extensive internal assessments and the
analyses conducted by its expert partners there, is no evidence
to suggest that customer data has been compromised," the company
said.
Companies face an increasing threat from ransom-demanding
hackers who cripple technology systems and demand payment to
stop.
(Reporting by Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru; editing by Jan
Harvey and Jason Neely)