A recent ransomware attack on forensics firm Eurofins has impacted operations of the UK police department, which is now dealing with an increasing backlog of pending forensic investigations.
Eurofins provides various types of forensic services, including DNA analysis, toxicology, ballistics and computer forensics work. It is believed that the UK police department has been outsourcing more than half of its forensic work to the firm. However, after Eurofins was targeted in a ransomware attack on 2 June, the police suspended all work with the firm over security concerns. As a result, police forces across the UK are currently allowed to carry out only a limited amount of forensic work. UK police has stated that “it is too early to fully quantify the impact” of the breach at Eurofins, but the department is “working at pace with partners to understand and mitigate the risks.”
Read more: UK Police suspend work with major forensics firm after cyber-attack