European and Heathrow airports have been hit with a sophisticated cyber-attack which bears the hallmarks of Russian “sabotage backed campaign.”
Collins Aerospace who operates check-in and boarding systems has been targeted by hackers causing major disruption and cancellations of many flights across Europe.
Berlin, Brussels and Heathrow airports have been affected by the cyber-attack which has caused technical issues and delays with longer waiting times.
Graeme Stewart, head of public sector at Check Point, told Sky News there will be a “domino effect” as aircraft will end up in the wrong places.
Airlines are on a “war footing” and the cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure are becoming the new norm after Harrods, Co-op and Marks & Spencer’s were hit with the same attacks.
Stewart said, “Typically, this breaks down into a number of different rationales for doing it: One is state sponsored, which this doesn’t appear to be, but again, not beyond the realms of possibility.
“The other one is just criminals, basically. Let’s call them what they are. These are criminals looking to cause disruption for political, but usually financial, gain.”
Heathrow and European airports in chaos in a possible ‘grey zone’ cyber attack
He added, “This is the modern-day bank heist. Frankly, until we know more details, I wouldn’t want to push either way on this.”
Rob Jardin, Chief Digital Officer at cybersecurity experts NymVPN, told the Daily Mail that Russia “could well be” behind the cyber-attack.
Jarden told the Daily Mail, “Russia could well be behind this. Intelligence services across Europe have repeatedly reported evidence of Moscow’s state-backed sabotage campaigns against energy and telecoms networks.
“Russia employs one of the largest hacker groups in the world, second only to China, and for the Kremlin, cyberspace has become the new frontline.
“The Cold War never truly ended – it has simply shifted into digital infrastructure that spans entire continents.
“The timing of this attack, coming just hours after reported Russian incursions into NATO airspace, will only fuel suspicion. Airports are high-profile, high-impact targets.
“Disrupting check-in and baggage systems doesn’t just inconvenience passengers – it creates global headlines, undermines confidence in critical infrastructure, and exerts political pressure without a single shot being fired.’
“Whether or not this incident is ultimately attributed to Russia, the lesson is the same – geopolitics is increasingly playing out in cyberspace.
“Europe must strengthen its cyber defences, build decentralised systems with fewer single points of failure, and ensure resilience across critical supply chains to prevent hostile actors from bringing whole sectors to a standstill.”
Charlotte Wilson, from cyber security firm Check Point told Sky News that the aviation is “increasingly attractive target” for cyber-attacks.
Wilson told the broadcaster, “These attacks often strike through the supply chain, exploiting third-party platforms that are used by multiple airlines and airports at once.
“When one vendor is compromised, the ripple effect can be immediate and far-reaching, causing widespread disruption across borders.”
She added, “Cyber-attacks rarely stop at national borders, so the faster one country can identify and report an attack, the faster others can take action to contain it.
“A joined up defence will be far more effective than siloed responses.”
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