Cybercrooks jet off with Manchester Airports Group customer data

Manchester Airports Group (MAG), which operates three of the UK's busiest airports, has fallen victim to a cyberattack that saw the theft of sensitive customer data. The company, which serves a significant number of customers, including a record 66 million in the past financial year, confirmed that 8.7 million customers were affected by the breach.

MAG, whose airports include Manchester Airport, Stansted Airport, and East Midlands Airport, stated that the majority of those affected had their email addresses compromised, which were collected during sign-ups for public Wi-Fi services. The next most common scenario involved customers who had made speculative enquiries, while an even smaller minority had their data stolen from completed bookings.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) did not allow MAG to share details about the ransom note, extortion demands, or the group's name to prevent giving notoriety to the cybercriminals. MAG did not pay the extortionists, and assured customers that passenger safety and aviation security were not compromised. The attackers obtained the data from a database hosted by a third party, stealing it from a compromised system.

MAG did not experience operational disruption as a result of the attack, and none of its airports stored bank or payment details. As a precautionary measure, MAG temporarily revoked access to its Manage My Booking service. Affected customers have been contacted, and MAG encourages them to remain vigilant against potential phishing attempts.