One arrest for cyber attacks on airports, extortion hypothesis

A man was arrested by British police as part of the investigation into cyber attacks that hit several European airports, including London's Heathrow Airport, over the weekend.

The lead, according to what has been made known so far by the investigative bodies of the various countries involved (including Belgium, France and Germany, as well as the United Kingdom), is that of suspected ransomware: i.e. a likely common crime cyber attack carried out for the purpose of extortion by hackers seeking a cash ransom. The arrest made in the United Kingdom concerns a 40-year-old man arrested in the county of West Sussex, in southern England, according to a report released today by the National Crime Agency (NCA), an investigative agency that coordinates investigations into crimes of a certain gravity and international complexity. The man is accused of involvement in the raid that hit the computer network of the American company Collins Aerospace, the effects of which were felt for days on several airports (to which the company provides software services for check-in and baggage boarding), resulting in delays on flights. The identity of the arrested person remains shrouded in secrecy and the significance of the arrest is currently being played down. 'While this arrest is a positive step, it must be emphasised that the investigative work into the incident is at an early stage and remains ongoing,' Paul Foster, head of the NCA's crime department, was quoted by the BBC as saying.