Data Stolen From 8.7 Million People After Hackers Hit Three UK Airports

Manchester Airports Group (MAG) says it's been hit by a cyber attack, and the data of around 8.7 million customers across Manchester Airport, London Stansted and East Midlands Airport has been accessed by an unauthorised third party.

The good news: passenger safety and aviation security were not at risk, and no bank or payment details were stored on the hacked system. Most of what was taken was email addresses from airport Wi-Fi sign-ups, though phone numbers, car registration plates and postcodes got swept up too. Flights and general operations carried on as normal at all three airports.

MAG apologised for the inconvenience and said it's taking the situation seriously.

Not everyone's convinced it's harmless, though. Beverley Griffiths from Buckinghamshire New University pointed out that even "boring" details like emails and postcodes can be gold for scammers, especially in bulk, and could be used for phishing emails, fake calls, or other fraud. Her advice: be wary of dodgy messages and double-check anyone asking for your personal info.

Between them, the three airports handle over 60 million passengers a year and yes, we can see Manchester Airport from our home office, so we're keeping our eyes peeled.

Don't wait for a breach to disrupt your business. Get in touch today and protect your business before it's too late.