As IT problems at Red Funnel continue – wiping out online and telephone bookings – the ferry company say they believe it is a malicious attack designed to strain their operation and bring their systems to a halt.
The Red Funnel CEO, Fran Collins, was keen to stress that “data theft does not appear to be a motive”.
Unavailable services
The IT problems began on Monday and continue today (Wednesday) with issues being experienced by customers travelling or looking to book with the Red Funnel.
The following services remain unavailable at this time:
- Online and telephone bookings
- Customer account enquiries
- Automatic NPR (number plate recognition) at check-in
- Live service status updates
Internal systems corrupted
Fran Collins said,
“While we are still in the midst of resolving the situation, it appears as though several of our internal systems have been corrupted. Notably our booking and timetable management system have been affected, as have some other internal systems.”
She went on to add,
“In accordance with best practice, we immediately prioritised our investigation to check for any evidence of personal data leaks and can confirm that we have NOT found any evidence to suggest that any such leaks may have occurred.
“We also want to reassure customers that customer credit / debit card details are not held within our systems, so customers can remain assured that their card data is never at risk with us.”
Unable to accept rewards points or travel cards
A basic version of the online booking system is expected to be restored in the next 24 hours.
Ms Collins add,
“Our teams are working hard to restore our systems and we anticipate resuming a basic version of our online booking system in the next 24 hours or less. We regret that we expect to be temporarily unable to accept Red Funnel rewards points or travel cards towards new bookings; however, we’re working to have this functionality back up and running as soon as possible.
“We will continue to keep customers informed as and when we have more information.”
Arrive well in advance
In the meantime, Red Funnel are advising anyone travelling without an existing booking to arrive well in advance of their sailing to ensure sufficient time to process payment and confirm the booking.
Payment can be made at the terminal for one-way travel or return travel for the same day. Those needing to arrange return travel for the next day or beyond should wait to book their return leg online or by telephone when the system is available.
Customers and staff thanked for their patience
Ms Collins finished by saying,
“Since Monday, all passengers who have turned up to travel without a booking have been able to get on their desired sailing, so I’d like to assure our customers that we have not had any issues with supply relative to demand. Again, we advise everyone travelling with us to arrive a little earlier than usual wherever possible.
“We would like to thank our customers and staff for their patience during this time and, once again, we apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
For the latest updates to travel, please check the Red Funnel Service Status on their Website.
Image: Brandon Leon under CC BY 2.0
