Disruption of European Airports by a ransomware cyber attack

Disorders that occurred at several major European airports during the weekend were due to a ransomware attack that targeted passengers’ reception and boarding systems.

Hitro in London, Brussels Airport and Brandenburg in Berlin. Cork and Dublin airports in Ireland also had disorders, but their impact was limited at the two airports.

According to the Brussels Airport, the attack began on Friday night, and Collins Irospisse, a foreign provider, targeted passengers’ reception and boarding systems.

Hackers attacked the Muse (multi -use environment) system; A system used by multiple airlines to allow for reception counters and flight gate stations and does not need to create a dedicated infrastructure for any airline.

“After a cyberattack on the American company Collins IRPIs, there have been disruptions to passenger admission operations at several European airports,” Brussels Airport wrote on its website.

The EU Cyber ​​Security Agency (ENISA) said in an interview with the Guardian on Monday that a ransomware attack was the cause of the disorders.

The incident affected a large number of flights; More than 5 flights were delayed or canceled, and thousands of passengers were manually accepted.

Brussels Airport announced that the disorders continued on Monday and urged passengers to check their flight status before visiting the airport. Collins Airpis is trying to restore the system at affected airports.

Police are also involved in investigations into the attack, according to a spokesman for the British Cyber ​​Security Center (NCSC). “We are working to identify the full dimensions of the incident in collaboration with Collins IRCPIs and damaged airports in the UK, as well as with the Ministry of Transport and our law enforcement agencies,” the agency said.

The agency also urged all organizations to use its free guides, services and tools to improve their security situation and reduce the likelihood of a cyber attack.