EU cyber agency confirms ransomware attack causing airport disruptions 

In Brief

A significant disruption of airport operations across Europe, which commenced over the weekend, has been traced back to a ransomware attack, as reported by the European Union’s cybersecurity agency ENISA on Monday.

According to an emailed statement to TechCrunch, “ENISA is aware of the ongoing disruption of airports’ operations, which were caused by a third-party ransomware incident. At this moment, ENISA cannot share further information regarding the cyberattack.”

The ransomware attack specifically targeted Collins Aerospace, a provider of critical systems including check-in technology for several major airports, such as those in Berlin, Brussels, and London’s Heathrow. The company is actively collaborating with the affected airports to restore their services, as reported by Reuters.

As initially highlighted on Saturday by The Guardian, the compromised system was identified as MUSE, Collins Aerospace’s passenger processing software. This technology enables various airlines to utilize shared check-in desks and boarding gate areas, instead of requiring dedicated resources for each airline according to the official Collins Aerospace website.

As of now, Collins Aerospace, which operates under defense contractor RTX, has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the incident. The identity of the cyberattackers remains unclear.

This cyberattack has resulted in widespread disruptions including check-in process failures, numerous flight delays, and cancellations, affecting operations since Friday night.