Cyber attacks that grounded planes worldwide were ‘designed to sow chaos’ | News UK

A wave of cyber attacks that anchored Dallas planes in Berlin was designed to sow chaos and dissuade ordinary people from spending their lives, said an expert.

The disturbances swept away some of the largest airports in the world last weekend after a air traffic breakdown brought flights across the United States to stop and cybertaco-infirmmed by recording and boarding systems in Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin.

Then, in another incident, mysterious drones were seen on four airports in Denmark – Aalborg, Sonderborg and Esbjerg, as well as the Skrystrup Airbase – last night and this morning.

This came after the drones was spotted while flying over Copenhagen and Oslo airports earlier this week.

Dr. Daniel Gardham, from the Cybersecurity Center of the University of Surrey, said that it was not surprising that the aeronautical industry was affected.

“ There is a reason why the attackers go after these very visible targets, he said Metro.

“One is that it affects the daily person – it draws your attention to these questions, whether you are taking it or not.

“And second, with airports in particular, they have different systems in place which must work together so that it works more effectively.”

These systems range from software managing the treadmill and luggage to the airplane fuel pumps, which opens airports to a greater possibility of being attacked.

“It is not surprising that they are able to find vulnerabilities in an airport, simply because of the magnitude of the operation, and the fact that it includes many parts that must work together,” he said.

He added that even if the complexities do not disappear soon despite the progress of AI and technology, an average traveler should not lose sleep for a possible disturbance of the flights linked to the cyber.

Dr. Gardham said: “I’m sure the airports themselves are very worried because they know they are targeted.”

Although passengers should be aware of cybersecurity, there are not many passengers themselves. He recommended taking out travel insurance in case something is happening.

So, how much is the United Kingdom prepared for the probability of more cyber attacks targeting aviation-and how much should you worry?

Mantas Sabeckis, an ethical pirate and infoscurious researcher, said the British aviation world took cyber-men seriously, and he feels that they are doing a good job to keep changes.

He underlined a recent survey in the United Kingdom in terms of cybersecurity violations, which showed that around 76% of large British companies have plans for cyber-incidents.

“They put pressure on the basics as to keep the systems up to date, train the staff on cyber-risk and have a solid plan to bounce back quickly if something is wrong,” he said Metro.

“That said, aviation is very complex, with many different companies and suppliers working together. This means that there are still weak points – like the recent cyber attack linked to Collins Aerospace is a good example of causing large headache in airports.

“Thus, even if the United Kingdom is doing well compared to many places, the work of protecting aviation cyber-system is never done. You must continue to learn, improve and stay vigilant as hackers become smarter.

Is digital boarding safer?

While airports remain on alert, airlines are preparing to end the use of leaving paper. Ryanair, for example, goes 100% digital from November 12, a decision that was labeled as a nightmare by passengers.

Sabeckis said that if online boarding passes generally accelerate recording and boarding, they include risks – in particular in the light of recent attacks.

“The staff must fall back on manual processes such as the passing through manuscripts, which slows down everything and can cause confusion,” he said.

“I think that digital boarding pass is the future, and it’s always a good time for airlines like Ryanair to continue adopting digital pass, but they have to do it with care. They must keep in mind that the aviation sector has increased 600% in annual sliding of cyberattacks, which means that they must prepare for potentially more frequent and sophisticated cyber-menices that could disturb automated systems.

And the United States? Are they safe from cyber attacks?

It is not only the British and European travel centers that have been targeted in recent years.

In the United States, the airlines were victims of the scattered spider cybercrime network shortly after the hackers have paralyzed SPERCE marks and payment systems in the United Kingdom, bringing the FBI to issue an alert on the group in June.

The FBI said that he had seen the spider -riding cybercriminal group “ extending its targeting to include the airline sector ”.

“These actors are counting on social engineering techniques, often usurging the identification of employees or entrepreneurs to deceive that it helps offices to grant access,” warned the FBI.

Concerns were raised earlier this year on the impact on American airline security after Donald Trump launched attacks on the Federal Aviation Authority and dismissed air traffic controllers following the collision of American airlines on the Potomac river.

Mr. Sabeckis said Metro: “Currently, the American aviation sector is faced with cybersecurity challenges similar to those of the United Kingdom and other countries, including ransomware, the risk of the supply chain and phishing attacks.

In 2024, Bridewell reported that 55% of American civil aviation organizations had had ransomware attack in the previous 12 months. This shows the growing risk regardless of specific political influences.

“Overall, the maintenance and improvement of cyber-defenses in American aviation depends on constant funding, solid regulations and collaboration in the public and private sectors, which requires continuous attention beyond any single administration.”

Contact our team of news by sending us an email to webnews@metro.co.uk.

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