London, Sep 24 (AP) A man in his 40s has been apprehended in southern England in connection with an alleged cyberattack that recently caused disruptions at various European airports, including London Heathrow. This was announced by law enforcement officials on Wednesday.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) of the UK reported that the suspect was detained in West Sussex on Tuesday on suspicion of computer misuse offenses. He has been granted conditional bail.
"Although this arrest is a positive step, the investigation into this incident is in its early stages and remains ongoing," stated Paul Foster, head of the NCA's national cyber crime unit. "Cybercrime is a persistent global threat that continues to cause significant disruption to the UK."
Beginning late Friday, airports in Berlin, Brussels, and London experienced disruptions to electronic systems, leading to issues with check-ins and causing airline staff to resort to alternatives such as manually writing boarding passes or using backup laptops. Many other European airports reported no such issues.
The cyberattack targeted software from Collins Aerospace, a US-based company whose systems facilitate tasks such as passenger check-ins, boarding pass printing, bag tagging, and luggage dispatch. On Saturday, Collins Aerospace cited a "cyber-related disruption" affecting its software at "select" airports across Europe.
It remains unclear who orchestrated the cyberattack, but experts speculate it could be the work of hackers, criminal organizations, or state actors. (AP)
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