US still probing flight ground stop, cyberattack not ruled out

WASHINGTON: Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin stated there was no indication the US was under threat following a nationwide ground stop at airports. However, Mullin advised reporters at the White House after speaking with President Donald Trump that authorities were continuing their investigation and did not exclude the possibility of a cyberattack.

At this point, there was no evidence suggesting it was a deliberate attack against the United States; it appeared to be merely a telecommunications disruption. Mullin emphasized repeatedly that this was not another 9/11. When questioned if a cyberattack could eventually be determined as the cause, he affirmed that officials were not ruling out any options at the moment.

He also made it clear that he did not believe the air traffic stop was connected to a widespread Microsoft outage affecting public services globally. Mullin clarified that those were unrelated matters. He added that every flight had been accounted for and that incoming international flights would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. However, he cautioned that the situation might take some time to resolve.