Cyber Attack on European Airports: Who is Behind the Large-Scale Outage.

Cyber Attack on European Airports

According to The Sun: The software for airports has become a target for extortionists against the backdrop of travel chaos following large-scale cyber attacks.

The EU Agency for Cybersecurity reported that malicious software is being used to disrupt the registration processes at major terminals.

AP

The number of passengers waiting to register at Heathrow Airport has significantly increased following the failure of the registration systems.

Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin airports suffered significant disruptions due to an attack that took place on Friday.

The EU Agency for Cybersecurity noted:

"The type of extortion has been identified. Law enforcement agencies are involved in the investigations."

In internal communications among Heathrow staff, confirmed by the BBC, airlines were advised to use manual registration procedures for passengers.

The criminals may use ransomware to damage computer systems and demand Bitcoin for the restoration of their operations.

Theories About the Origin of the Attack

It is still unclear who exactly is behind this destructive cyber attack, which has caused serious problems for European aviation.

However, cybersecurity experts suspect possible Russian involvement. Security expert and political analyst Anthony Glees stated:

"There is no doubt that the Russians are behind these attacks on airports in London, Berlin, and Brussels."

AP

Expert Will Geddes also added that "it is very likely that Russia is involved in this destructive cyber attack."

He explained:

"A possible link that connects the attack to the Russians could be Collins Aerospace, which has won a significant contract with NATO."

The attack on Collins Aerospace, an external provider, was detected on the night of Friday. The losses from the attack could have state origins, noted Jonathan Hall KC, an observer in the field of counter-terrorism law.

Despite the significant disruptions, it is currently reported that the situation at the airports is starting to improve.

Heathrow Airport urged passengers to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport. A spokesperson for the airport stated:

"Airlines at Heathrow have taken measures while their provider Collins Aerospace is working to resolve the issue with the registration systems."

Collins Aerospace announced that they are almost finished updating the software post-attack.

A spokesperson for the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) pointed out:

"We are working with Collins Aerospace and the affected airports in the UK, as well as with colleagues from the Department for Transport and law enforcement agencies, to fully understand the impact of the incident."

Alamy It is now clear that the cyber attacks on European airports have caused significant disruptions to air traffic. Governments and cybersecurity experts continue to investigate the causes and extent of this attack to understand how similar situations can be avoided in the future. All parties involved are working together to restore normal operations at the airports as quickly as possible and ensure passenger safety.