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A hacking incident targeting Manchester Airports Group (MAG) – the operator behind Manchester, London Stansted, and East Midlands airports – has exposed the personal information of approximately 8.7 million passengers. Together, the three airports handled 54 million passengers over the past year. The group confirmed that the compromised database did not store financial records or banking details while emphasising that aviation security, physical passenger safety and regular airport operations remained completely unaffected throughout the event.
The cyberattack compromised records associated with parking reservations, premium lounge access, fast-track security passes and terminal Wi-Fi registrations, according to a report by The Guardian. The group is “working with specialist advisers and taking appropriate steps to protect our customers and systems”, according to a spokesperson. The attack comes days after reports said that suspected Iranian-linked hackers targeted a UK power generation facility, causing a temporary four-day shutdown without endangering the national grid.
Information obtained by the attackers includes customer email addresses, telephone numbers, postal codes, and vehicle registration numbers. In an advisory sent to affected travelers, London Stansted urged the public to stay alert against potential phishing attempts. “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. We apologise for any inconvenience or concern this may cause. MAG stated that its technical teams took swift action to isolate the vulnerability alongside independent cybersecurity consultants, while reporting the incident to regulatory authorities. “We have informed and are working with the relevant authorities. At no point has passenger safety or aviation security been compromised. Airport operations remain unaffected and customer parking services continue to operate normally. 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,” the group added. Meanwhile, flight schedules, passenger processing, and vehicle parking facilities across all three transport hubs continue to function normally. Get the latest technology news and updates. Download the TOI App.