8.7M TRAVELLERS EXPOSED IN UK AIRPORT BREACH

🚨 8.7 million airport customers had their data accessed, and the hackers wanted a ransom for it.

Manchester Airports Group, which owns Manchester, East Midlands and London Stansted, told the BBC that criminal hackers got into a system holding customer contact details, vehicle registrations and postcodes over the weekend.

MAG says it refused to pay. The size of the demand was not disclosed.

How the data was collected matters. The majority of what was taken was email addresses harvested from passengers signing up to the airports' on-site WiFi. The more detailed records came from people booking car-park spaces, arranging lounge access and buying fast-track.

MAG says the system did not hold bank or payment details, and that "at no point has passenger safety or aviation security been compromised." The group says it only became aware on Tuesday, contained the risk, notified affected customers and knows the identity of the hackers.

The Information Commissioner's Office confirmed it has received a breach report from MAG and is assessing the information provided.

One affected customer, Michael Goddard, 71, from Cheshire, told BBC Radio Manchester he was "shocked" and not fully reassured, saying the hackers have his postcode and his name. He wants to know whether MAG would compensate customers if anything happens.

BBC Business reports the breach hit three airports at once, all under the same operator.

🔴 Free airport WiFi has a price after all.

Would you still hand over your email for terminal WiFi?

#Uproar #causeanuproar #CyberSecurity #DataBreach #Airports