Three UK airports hit by cyberattack

Foreign Agencies

London: A cyberattack on three major airports in the United Kingdom has compromised the personal information of approximately 8.7 million customers, according to Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which operates the affected facilities.

Manchester Airport, London Stansted Airport and East Midlands Airport were targeted in the incident. MAG said the compromised information included customers’ email addresses, telephone numbers, postcodes and vehicle registration details.

The breach also affected data associated with car park bookings, airport lounge and fast-track reservations, as well as registrations for in-airport Wi-Fi services.

MAG said customers’ financial information was not compromised, as banking and payment details were not stored on the systems affected by the attack.

The airport group said the incident had no impact on passenger safety or aviation security and that normal operations at all three airports continued without disruption.

London Stansted Airport has advised passengers to remain vigilant against possible phishing attempts following the breach. The airport cautioned customers against responding to unsolicited messages requesting payment or banking information.

MAG said the cyberattack was contained and that it had engaged specialist advisers while taking additional measures to strengthen the security of its systems and safeguard customer information.

The incident has renewed concerns over the vulnerability of major transport infrastructure to cyber threats, particularly as airports handle vast amounts of passenger and booking data.