Cyber-attack forces WebFarm into backup mode

By RICHARD PAMATATAU

E-commerce payment company WebFarm switched to its backup payment service when WorldPay, the Royal Bank of Scotland's internet payment outfit which it represents in New Zealand, was electronically attacked by cyber-bandits last week.

The sustained "denial of service" attack on WorldPay's online payment and administration system reduced it to a crawl.

Richard Shearer, managing director of New Plymouth's WebFarm, said all his customers' transactions were put in a queuing system.

New Zealand customers lost no money or data and the move to the alternative - a merchant credit card system with a bank - worked very well, he said. All multi-currency transactions were handled.

On Friday Shearer said his company would maintain the backup system as the source of the attack on WorldPay had not been identified.

By Monday the attack seemed to be over, with all systems working normally.

WorldPay stressed last week that no customer information had leaked as a result of the attack.

Its services allow online retailers to accept online payments via credit and debit cards and are a critical component of many e-commerce sites.