[UK] Contractor payroll systems at Parasol ‘back up and running’

UK umbrella company Parasol used the weekend to get its payroll systems “back up and running,” after experiencing a cyberattack that left thousands of contractors without pay, Contractor UK reports.

On the evening of January 23, in a pop-up message on MyParasol, the umbrella company said users should now “submit timesheets if they are not already on the system.”

On Friday morning, Parasol had reportedly emailed agencies to say timesheets could still not be processed, nor invoices sent, as the portal was “not yet open”.

Its email said, “Our payroll systems are back up and running. For now [though], our portal is not open yet and we are therefore not yet able to process timesheets and send invoices.”

'Welcome Back'

But in a “Welcome Back” window now visible on its login page, Parasol references its initial commitment to waive its margin once service resumes.

“Margin has been applied automatically to your payment this week. [But] we will refund it within 28 days,” the MyParasol message reads.

Not all contractors are likely to be satisfied. “Waiving their margin? How generous,” one contractor responded. “I’d be asking for compensation as well”.

Parasol does not directly address the attack in its ‘Welcome Back’ message but in the same window, above the text, there is a large red exclamation mark.

Cloud customers of Parasol’s sister companies, SJD Accountancy and Nixon Williams, were still offline yesterday.

In addition, the e-portal for umbrella contractors of Brookson - targeted in the same attack that hit the three Optionis-owned firms - is “currently under maintenance.”

Parasol is the first of the four companies hit by hackers earlier this month to recover its client-facing systems and make them accessible again to customers.

'SJD and Nixon weren't the likely targets'

Closer scrutiny of what happened to the four will now become a priority, including who orchestrated and executed the cyber-attack and what motivated them.

“SJD and Nixon Williams were unlikely to be the primary target of these attacks,” James Poyser, - chief executive of inniAccounts - said.

“SJD and NW likely simply have shared IT [with Parasol. And while] the motives are unclear…the vast amounts of cash handled by these firms, or perhaps resentment given IR35, [are each a likely inducement].”

Source: Contractor UK

(Quotes via original reporting)

UK umbrella company Parasol used the weekend to get its payroll systems “back up and running,” after experiencing a cyberattack that left thousands of contractors without pay, Contractor UK reports.

On the evening of January 23, in a pop-up message on MyParasol, the umbrella company said users should now “submit timesheets if they are not already on the system.”

On Friday morning, Parasol had reportedly emailed agencies to say timesheets could still not be processed, nor invoices sent, as the portal was “not yet open”.

Its email said, “Our payroll systems are back up and running. For now [though], our portal is not open yet and we are therefore not yet able to process timesheets and send invoices.”

'Welcome Back'

But in a “Welcome Back” window now visible on its login page, Parasol references its initial commitment to waive its margin once service resumes.

“Margin has been applied automatically to your payment this week. [But] we will refund it within 28 days,” the MyParasol message reads.

Not all contractors are likely to be satisfied. “Waiving their margin? How generous,” one contractor responded. “I’d be asking for compensation as well”.

Parasol does not directly address the attack in its ‘Welcome Back’ message but in the same window, above the text, there is a large red exclamation mark.

Cloud customers of Parasol’s sister companies, SJD Accountancy and Nixon Williams, were still offline yesterday.

In addition, the e-portal for umbrella contractors of Brookson - targeted in the same attack that hit the three Optionis-owned firms - is “currently under maintenance.”

Parasol is the first of the four companies hit by hackers earlier this month to recover its client-facing systems and make them accessible again to customers.

'SJD and Nixon weren't the likely targets'

Closer scrutiny of what happened to the four will now become a priority, including who orchestrated and executed the cyber-attack and what motivated them.

“SJD and Nixon Williams were unlikely to be the primary target of these attacks,” James Poyser, - chief executive of inniAccounts - said.

“SJD and NW likely simply have shared IT [with Parasol. And while] the motives are unclear…the vast amounts of cash handled by these firms, or perhaps resentment given IR35, [are each a likely inducement].”

Source: Contractor UK

(Quotes via original reporting)