Criminals publish data of 8.7m people after airports hack

Hackers have stolen the personal information of nearly nine million people after infiltrating three UK airports. Manchester Airports Group (MAG) was extorted for an undisclosed ransom but did not receive payment. Customers of Manchester, London Stansted, and East Midlands airports are now cautioned about potential secondary attacks due to the exposed data.

MAG assures that they have implemented effective security measures and have contacted all affected individuals, including those with upcoming bookings. The breached databases contained Wi-Fi login credentials, vehicle registrations, and postcodes. The cybercriminal group responsible has offered the entire dataset for free to other criminals through their website, which contains over half a terabyte of personally identifiable information (PII).

Cyber-security experts have flagged the stolen data, revealing email addresses, phone numbers, addresses, license plate numbers, purchasing history, and browsing device details. Kevin Beaumont, a cyber-security expert, advised those affected to be vigilant for further scams and hacks, particularly for high-profile or wealthy individuals.

The hackers' website featuring the stolen data is accessible on the clear internet, rather than the usual darknet, making it easier for other criminals to access. Mag also stated that passengers' physical safety has not been compromised. The hackers' modus operandi involved exploiting weaknesses in how companies store digital keys for internal networks.

Individuals affected by the data breach are advised to report any stolen documents to their issuers, monitor their bank statements and credit reports for unusual activity, stay alert for suspicious emails, messages, or phone calls, and employ strong passwords with multi-factor authentication for their online accounts.