Criminal hackers accessed the data of almost nine million people in a cyber security incident at three major UK airports.
Manchester Airport Group (MAG), which operates Manchester Airport, London Stansted and East Midlands Airport, said the incident did not compromise passenger safety or aviation security. The company also stated that neither MAG nor the system that was accessed held customers' bank or payment details.
Data Accessed in the Incident
Most of the data accessed was limited to customer email addresses and related to wifi sign-ups within the airports' terminals. Phone numbers, vehicle registration numbers and postcodes were also accessed, the company said.
The hackers demanded a ransom fee, which was not paid. The sum of the ransom fee was not disclosed. MAG said it became aware of the attack on Tuesday.
MAG's Response and Customer Warning
An MAG spokesperson said on Thursday: "Manchester Airports group has been subject to a cyber security incident by an unauthorised third party. A quantity of customer data has been obtained that relates to car park, lounge and fast track bookings and in-airport wifi sign-ups at Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports."
The spokesperson added: "We immediately contained the risk and have been working with specialist advisers and taking appropriate steps to protect our customers and systems. We have informed and are working with the relevant authorities. At no point has passenger safety or aviation security been compromised."
"The incident has not resulted in any operational disruption. Airport operations remain unaffected and customer parking services continue to operate normally. Neither MAG nor the system accessed hold customers' bank or payment details. The data that has been accessed includes customers' email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registrations and postcodes."
In an email to customers on Thursday morning, MAG said: "We would urge you to be particularly cautious of unexpected emails, calls or text messages claiming to be from us. We will never contact you unexpectedly to ask for payment or banking information."
Expert Warning on Data Value
Beverley Griffiths, senior lecturer in security and resilience at Buckinghamshire New University, said: "While email addresses, phone numbers, postcodes and vehicle registration details may appear less sensitive than financial data, large volumes of this information can be highly valuable to cyber criminals."
"Combined, these details can be used to build profiles of individuals and support targeted phishing, social engineering and fraud attempts."
Griffiths added: "Manchester Airports Group appears to have responded quickly by containing the incident and working with the relevant authorities. Customers should remain vigilant for suspicious emails, texts or phone calls and verify any requests for personal information through official channels."
More than 32 million passengers flew into or out of Manchester Airport last year, while more than 30 million travelled through Stansted, in Essex, and four million through East Midlands in Leicestershire.
