A cyberattack you say? Affecting airports you say?
"Not all that surprising", I say, sipping from a cup of tea.
We're seeing cyberattacks gaining entry via third party suppliers and outsourced support. So there should be pressure on Critical Infrastructure providers - like Heathrow Airport - to ensure that the IT and infrastructure security of third party suppliers and partners is water tight.
Air travel is super reliant on everything working to time. When it doesn't - regardless of the reason - then chaos can ensue.
I wonder if Heathrow has engaged with suppliers and partners to do that? Part of me doubts that.
At a recent visit to Terminal 3 arrivals, I saw a Cisco 7911 IP phone plugged in and in service. It's on the column near the M&S Food store.
This model of phone went End Of Life in 2013 and End Of Support in 2018. This means it won't be patched with the latest firmware to mitigate vulnerabilities.
It should have been identified as needing replacement 7 years ago. Is that an indication of Heathrow's approach to IT infrastructure security?
Heathrow's response to the recent power outage issue was a huge signal to cybercriminals that if they wanted to cause havoc and gain credibility, airports are a tempting target.
As I wrote in July, Heathrow isn't off the hook. There are still questions to be answered. And there will continue to be.
https://jamiedowling.uk/blog/heathrow_airport_not_off_the_hook.html
Heathrow Airport Not Off The Hook
