The personal data of more than eight million people has been accessed after a cyber security breach targetingthree major UK airports.
Manchester Airport Group (MAG), which oversees Manchester Airport, London Stansted and East Midlands Airport, assured the public that “at no point has passenger safety or aviation security been compromised”, adding that no payment or banking details were exposed.
The information accessed primarily consists of customer email addresses gathered during terminal wifi registrations.
However, the hack also accessed phone numbers, vehicle registration numbers and postcodes associated with airport bookings, but not bank details.
Flight schedules and terminal operations across all three locations have remained fully operational and unaffected.
In an email to customers, the airport said: “Our investigation has identified that some of your personal information relating to airport car parking, lounge, Fast Track bookings and on-airport WIFI sign-ups has been accessed by an unauthorised third party.”
What action has Manchester Airport Group taken?
The airport group has said it contained the risk and is now working with specialist advisors to make sure their customers and systems are protected.
A spokesperson said: “We have informed and are working with the relevant authorities. At no point has passenger safety or aviation security been compromised.
“The incident has not resulted in any operational disruption. Airport operations remain unaffected and customer parking services continue to operate normally.”
In an email to customers on Thursday morning, MAG said: “We would urge you to be particularly cautious of unexpected emails, calls or text messages claiming to be from us.
“We will never contact you unexpectedly to ask for payment or banking information.”
How can I check if my personal information was stolen in the cyberattack?
The airport group is currently investigating the cyber breach, but if you suspect your personal information has been accessed this can be checked using an email checker.
One website that offers this service is haveibeenpwned.com. It allows you to enter your email address before it runs a quick check in seconds. It will check the email against any released stolen databases and reveal if your name and email appear.
How can I deal with my data being breached?
If your information has been leaked it is still possible to minimise the impact and prevent criminals from using your information for profit.
One way to do this is by changing the passwords of any account where your information may have been leaked.
This should be a unique password using a password manager or a password generator, according to cyber security company F-secure.
Beverley Griffiths, senior lecturer in security and resilience at Bucks New University, said customers should remain vigilant after a “cyber security incident”.
She said: “While email addresses, phone numbers, postcodes and vehicle registration details may appear less sensitive than financial data, large volumes of this information can be highly valuable to cyber criminals.
“Combined, these details can be used to build profiles of individuals and support targeted phishing, social engineering and fraud attempts.
“Manchester Airports Group appears to have responded quickly by containing the incident and working with the relevant authorities. Customers should remain vigilant for suspicious emails, texts or phone calls and verify any requests for personal information through official channels.”
