Three UK airports have been hit by a cyber-attack in which hackers accessed the personal data of about 8.7 million customers. Manchester, London Stansted
and East Midlands airports are operated by Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which said the incident involved information linked to car park, lounge and fast-track bookings, as well as in-airport Wi-Fi sign-ups. The data accessed included customers' email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registration numbers and postcodes. MAG said the affected system did not contain customers' bank or payment details. It also said passenger safety and aviation security had not been compromised and that airport operations were continuing normally. The company said it had "immediately contained the risk" and was "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," a MAG spokesperson said. "Airport operations remain unaffected and customer parking services continue to operate normally." The company added: "We would like to reassure customers that Manchester Airport Group takes the security of customer information extremely seriously and we apologise for any inconvenience or concern caused." London Stansted warned affected customers to be alert to possible attempts to exploit the stolen information. "We would urge you to be particularly cautious of unexpected emails, calls or text messages claiming to be from us," the airport said according to a report by The Guardian. "We will never contact you unexpectedly to ask for payment or banking information. We apologise for any inconvenience or concern this may cause." The attack comes during the peak summer travel period, with many families returning to the UK before the new school year. About 54 million passengers travelled through the three airports combined last year. The incident comes amid growing pressure on suppliers and operators of national infrastructure to strengthen their cyber-defences. Last year, flights were delayed and cancelled at three major European airports, including Heathrow, after a company providing software used for check-in and boarding was hit by a cyber-attack. Earlier this month, hackers linked to Iran were blamed for an attack that temporarily shut down a British power plant. The government said the incident involved a small-scale generator and did not pose a risk to the wider energy system. A series of major cyber-attacks also targeted British companies last year, including Jaguar Land Rover, Marks & Spencer, Harrods and the Co-op food chain.
