Manchester Airport hack hits 8.7 million customers as ransom refused

A Manchester Airport hack has exposed the personal data of almost nine million people across three UK airports, after criminal hackers breached Manchester Airports Group (MAG) and demanded a ransom the company says it refused to pay.

MAG, which owns Manchester, East Midlands and London Stansted airports, said customers' contact details, vehicle registrations and postcodes were obtained at the weekend. It told BBC News that the hackers demanded a fee for the return of the data and that the group refused to pay. The sum was not disclosed. About 8.7 million customers were affected.

What the Manchester Airport hack exposed

Most of the stolen data was limited to email addresses harvested from passengers signing up to on-site WiFi in the airports' terminals. More detailed information, including vehicle registrations, came from people booking car-park spaces, arranging lounge access and booking fast-track.

The group said the system involved did not hold bank or payment details, and that "at no point has passenger safety or aviation security been compromised".

MAG's response, and what customers should do

MAG only became aware of the breach on Tuesday, and says it moved quickly to stop the hackers going any further. "We immediately contained the risk and have been working with specialist advisors and taking appropriate steps to protect our customers and systems," it said. "We have informed and are working with the relevant authorities."

In a statement, the group added: "We would like to reassure customers that Manchester Airport Group takes the security of customer information extremely seriously and we apologise for any inconvenience or concern caused."

Affected customers have been notified and urged to stay alert to suspicious emails, texts or phone calls, and to avoid opening unknown attachments.

It is the latest in a run of attacks on UK infrastructure, after a cyber attack shut down a British power plant for four days earlier this month, and it caps a bruising summer for UK airport passengers.