UK airports cyberattack…

A cyberattack has compromised the personal information of about 8.7 million customers linked to three major airports in the United Kingdom, although airport operations and flights have not been affected.

Key Highlights

• A cyberattack has compromised the personal data of about 8.7 million customers connected to three major UK airports.
• The affected airports are Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands, operated by Manchester Airports Group (MAG).
• Exposed information includes email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registration details and postcodes.
• MAG said the attack occurred over the weekend but was detected on Tuesday.
• Airport operations, flights and passenger services remain unaffected.

The Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports, disclosed the breach on Thursday.

According to the airport operator, the compromised information includes customers’ email addresses, telephone numbers, vehicle registration details and postcodes.

MAG said the cyber incident occurred over the weekend but was not detected by the company until Tuesday.

Despite the scale of the data breach, the group said there had been no disruption to airport operations or passenger services.

“Airport operations remain unaffected,” MAG said in a statement, adding that passenger safety and aviation security had not been compromised.

The company also confirmed that banking and payment information was not affected by the incident.

MAG said the stolen information was connected to services including airport car park bookings, lounge reservations, Fast Track bookings and in-airport Wi-Fi registration.

The company attributed the breach to an “unauthorised third party” but did not disclose further details about the suspected attackers or how the intrusion occurred.

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MAG said it moved quickly to contain the incident after becoming aware of the breach and has since been working with cybersecurity specialists to secure its systems and protect affected customers.

“We immediately contained the risk and have been working with specialist advisors and taking appropriate steps to protect our customers and systems,” the company said.

The latest incident adds to growing concerns over cybersecurity in the UK, which has experienced a series of high-profile attacks targeting major businesses.

Last year, companies including Jaguar Land Rover, Marks & Spencer, Harrods and the Co-op food retailer were among organisations affected by cyberattacks.

MAG has not indicated that the latest breach has had any impact on flight schedules or the wider operation of Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports.

The company is continuing to investigate the incident and assess the implications of the compromised customer information.