Cyber attackers targeted systems belonging to Collins Aerospace, leading to significant disruption at airports including Heathrow, Berlin, and Brussels.
A ransomware incident was responsible for the airport disruptions that rendered automated check-in systems inoperable at several major European air travel hubs during the weekend, as news outlets reported on Monday, attributing the information to ENISA, the EU’s cybersecurity agency.
These system failures impacted scores of flights and inconvenienced thousands of travelers at London Heathrow, Berlin, Brussels, and various other airports.
”The specific type of ransomware has been identified. Law enforcement agencies are engaged in the investigation,” ENISA stated in a press release, as reported by Reuters, without disclosing the origin of the assault.
The security breach, occurring on Friday evening, focused on check-in and boarding systems supplied by the US software manufacturer Collins Aerospace, which is a subsidiary of the prominent American defense and aerospace firm RTX, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies.
Reuters cited Collins Aerospace on Monday, which stated it was collaborating with the impacted airports and nearing the completion of updates aimed at restoring complete functionality. The company reportedly faced a similar attack from ransom-demanding cybercriminals in 2023 as well.
Ransomware refers to malicious software that obstructs access to computer systems or data, typically through encryption, until a payment is made by the victim. To date, no groups have asserted responsibility or issued any demands.