The Manchester Airports Group (MAG) data breach has taken a serious new turn after hackers published stolen information linked to around 8.7 million people online.
The data relates to customers of Manchester Airport, London Stansted Airport and East Midlands Airport.
According to media reports, the hackers had tried to extort MAG for an undisclosed sum but did not receive a ransom payment. They have now made the stolen dataset available online for others to access.
That could significantly increase the risk of follow-on scams and other misuse of the information.
What information has been published?
The stolen data is reported to include:
- Names
- Email addresses
- Phone numbers
- Vehicle registration numbers
- Purchase history
- IP addresses
- Location information
- Browsing and device information.
Have I Been Pwned has reviewed the published data and confirmed that the breach includes around 8.7 million email addresses.
The hackers have claimed that the full dataset contains around half a terabyte of information.
Victims of the data breach must be vigilant
Until now, the main concern was that customer information had been accessed and stolen.
The fact that the data has now been published means it may be available to a much wider group of criminals and scammers.
The BBC reports that the information is being offered free of charge on a publicly accessible website rather than a dark web leak site.
That could make it easier for others to obtain and misuse.
Could the information be used in scams?
Potentially. The information stolen includes details that could allow scammers to make emails, text messages or phone calls appear much more convincing.
For example, a message might refer to a genuine airport booking, car registration or previous purchase.
Cyber security experts have also warned that the stolen information may include both historical locations and planned future travel.
That could be particularly concerning for people whose movements need to remain private.
What has Manchester Airports Group said?
MAG says it is confident it has taken effective measures to protect customers.
The airport operator also says it has contacted everyone affected, including people with upcoming bookings, to offer additional support.
MAG continues to work with the authorities and specialist advisers.
It has also said passenger safety and aviation security were not compromised by the cyber attack.
What should affected customers do now?
The latest development makes it particularly important to remain alert. At the very least you should:
- Be cautious about suspicious emails, messages and phone calls
- Use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication on online accounts
- Monitor bank statements and credit reports for unusual activity
- Avoid providing banking information or passwords in response to an unexpected contact
- Be cautious about clicking links in unsolicited messages.
It is also sensible to treat unexpected contact with caution, even where the sender appears to know genuine details about you. Do not assume a message is genuine simply because it contains information that only an airport or booking provider might be expected to know.
If MAG has contacted you to confirm that your information was involved, keep the notification and any further correspondence about the incident.
We have provided some more tips on how to stay safe after a data breach in our handy guide.
How many people are affected by the MAG data breach?
A MAG spokesperson previously reported that around 8.7 million customers had been affected, although it said only email addresses had been exposed for the “vast majority” of those people.
Customers affected by the incident include people who used airport parking, lounge and Fast Track services or on-airport Wi-Fi at:
- Manchester Airport
- London Stansted Airport
- East Midlands Airport
This includes some customers with upcoming travel, where bookings had already been made before the breach.
The published data indicates that some customers had significantly more detailed information exposed than MAG initially disclosed, including purchase, location and device-related data.
Could you be entitled to compensation?
Being affected by a data breach does not automatically mean you are entitled to compensation.
However, people may be able to seek compensation where an organisation has broken data protection law and they have suffered damage as a result. This can include financial loss or, in some circumstances, distress.
The publication of the stolen data is an important development because it may increase the risk of misuse and could make the consequences of the breach more significant for some of those affected.
Anyone affected should keep copies of emails from MAG and any other correspondence relating to the breach, along with evidence of suspicious activity, attempted scams or financial loss.
We are continuing to monitor this breach and have more information on a potential compensation claim on our MAG data breach page.
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