Private data belonging to 8.7 million customers has been compromised in a cyberattack targeting three major airports in Britain, the Manchester Airports Group, MAG, announced on Thursday.
MAG, which operates Manchester Airport, London Stansted Airport and East Midlands Airport, said the cyberattack resulted in the theft of a quantity of customer information linked to services provided at the airports.
The compromised information includes customers’ email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registration numbers and postcodes.
According to the airport operator, the cyberattack occurred over the weekend, but the organisation only became aware of the incident on Tuesday.
MAG said it moved quickly to contain the threat and has since been working with specialist advisers to investigate the incident and strengthen measures to protect affected customers and its systems.
Despite the scale of the data breach, the company said the incident has not caused any disruption to airport operations. “There has been no operational disruption, and airport operations remain unaffected,” MAG said in a statement.
The airport operator also stressed that passenger safety and aviation security were not compromised as a result of the cyberattack.
“At no point has passenger safety or aviation security been compromised,” the company said, adding that customers’ bank and payment information had not been affected.
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MAG attributed the incident to “an unauthorised third party” but did not provide further details about the identity of the attackers or how they gained access to the affected systems.
The company said the stolen information was connected to specific customer services, including car park bookings, airport lounge reservations, Fast Track bookings and in-airport WiFi registration.
“A quantity of customer data has been obtained that relates to car park, lounge and Fast Track bookings and in-airport WiFi sign-up,” MAG said.
The airport group said it had immediately taken steps to contain the risk following the discovery of the breach and was continuing to work with cybersecurity specialists to assess the situation.
“We immediately contained the risk and have been working with specialist advisors and taking appropriate steps to protect our customers and systems,” it added.
The incident adds to growing concerns over cybersecurity in Britain, where several major companies have been targeted by cyberattacks in recent years.
Britain experienced a wave of high-profile cyber incidents last year, with companies including carmaker Jaguar Land Rover and major retailers Marks and Spencer, Harrods and the Co-op food chain among those affected.
The latest attack on MAG highlights the growing cybersecurity risks faced by organisations handling large volumes of customer information, even where critical operations remain unaffected.
MAG said its airport operations remain fully functional while investigations and efforts to protect customer information continue.
AFP
