Swissport claims it “contained an IT security incident” referring to a ransomware attack that took place on February 3rd.
Switzerland-based aviation services provider, Swissport, took to Twitter on 4 February to share details of a cyberattack that disrupted its operations. According to its tweet, its IT infrastructure was targeted with ransomware that impacted its service delivery.
About Swissport
Swissport is headquartered in Zurich. The company offers airport ground services along with air cargo handling. It is currently operating at 285 airports across 45 countries.
In 2021, Swissport served around 97 million travelers and handled over 5 million tons of air freight. The firm handles everything from airport security and lounge hospitality to check-in gates, de-icing, baggage handling, and aircraft refueling.
Attack Details
The company didn’t share details of the type of ransomware used to target its IT systems or who could be involved in the incident. The company, however, revealed that the attack occurred on February 3rd, and it reacted quickly to contain it despite that it caused operational disruption.
The company’s support website displayed an error and was inaccessible for at least a day, after which the company regained its control. Impacted systems were taken offline.
“The affected infrastructure was quickly taken offline and manual workarounds or fallback systems have remained operational. A full system clean-up and recovery is now underway and we do not expect any significant delays.”
Swissport
Ransomware Attack Causes Flight Delays
Currently, it is unclear how many airports got affected by this incident. According to German news outlet Der Spiegel, the attack led to temporary delays at Zurich Airport. However, airport authorities state that the attack didn’t affect flight operations. They did admit that nearly 22 flights got delayed by 3 to 20 minutes.
On the other hand, Swissport switched to paper manifests at Brussels Airport due to the attack, according to American shipper. Swissport claims to continue ground services even with limited IT system access. Nevertheless, the main website of Swissport is back online now.
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