Cyberattack Disrupts Check-In Systems at Major European Airports

"A cyberattack targeting check-in and boarding systems disrupted air traffic and caused delays at several of Europe's major airports on Saturday. While the impact on travelers appeared to be limited, experts said the intrusion exposed vulnerabilities in security systems. The disruptions to electronic systems initially reported at Brussels, Berlin's Brandenburg and London's Heathrow airports meant that only manual check-in and boarding was possible. Many other European airports said their operations were unaffected."

"Many other European airports said their operations were unaffected. Airports said the issue centered around a provider of check-in and boarding systems - not airlines or the airports themselves. Collins Aerospace, whose systems help passengers check themselves in, print boarding passes and bag tags and dispatch their luggage from a kiosk, cited a "cyber-related disruption" to its MUSE (Multi-User System Environment) software at "select airports.""

"It was not immediately clear who might be behind the cyberattack, but experts said it could turn out to be hackers, criminal organizations, or state actors. Travel analyst Paul Charles said he was "surprised and shocked" by the attack that has affected one of the world's top aviation and defense companies. He said "it's deeply worrying that a company of that stature who normally have such resilient systems in place have been affected.""

A cyberattack on a provider of check-in and boarding systems disrupted electronic processes and caused delays at several major European airports, including Brussels, Berlin Brandenburg and London Heathrow. Affected airports switched to manual check-in and boarding while many other airports reported no impact. Collins Aerospace reported a "cyber-related disruption" to its MUSE (Multi-User System Environment) software at select airports; its systems handle self check-in, boarding pass and bag tag printing, and luggage dispatch from kiosks. Travel impact appeared limited, but experts warned the intrusion exposed security vulnerabilities and that perpetrators could range from criminal hackers to state actors.

Read at SecurityWeek