A third-party ransomware attack caused disruptions over the weekend at airports throughout Europe.
The attack disabled automatic check-in systems for passengers, causing significant delays. ENISA, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, revealed the attack and reported that the type of ransomware behind the offense “has been identified.”
“The type of ransomware has been identified. Law enforcement is involved to investigate,” ENISA said in a statement.
The breach caused significant delays at airports throughout the continent, including in major hubs in London, Berlin, and Brussels. As of Monday morning, there were reportedly delays stemming from the attack at Berlin’s airport. There were more travelers than usual at the airport due to the Berlin marathon over the weekend, according to reports.
Brussels Airport was also experiencing delays as of Monday, with an estimated 60 flights needing to be canceled due to the attack, CNN reported. They were forced to use iPads and laptops to help flight passengers check in online.
According to Reuters, the cyberattack on Europe’s airports comes as the number of cyberattacks has increased in recent months. Most recently, luxury automobile manufacturer Jaguar was the victim of an attack, which forced the company to restrict production briefly.
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The breach targeted the Muse software platform, which “allows different airlines to use the same check-in desks and boarding gates at an airport, rather than requiring their own.” The software is reportedly developed by Collins Aerospace, a company that “provides check-in and boarding systems for several airlines across multiple airports globally.”
“The impact is limited to electronic customer check-in and baggage drop and can be mitigated with manual check-in operations,” said RTX Corporation, the parent company of Collins Aerospace.
Law enforcement agencies were working with the airports to resolve problems stemming from the cyberattack. The investigation into how it happened was reportedly ongoing as of Monday morning.
