Cyber Incident Victim: Bristol Airport
Date:
Sep 2018
Location:
United Kingdom
Summary
A ransomware attack disrupted flight information display systems at Bristol Airport, leading officials to implement manual alternatives such as paper posters and whiteboards for passenger communications throughout the weekend. The organization declined to pay the ransom demand, instead taking systems offline for restoration while advising travelers to allocate additional time for check-in processes. Despite the operational impact on information screens, no flight delays occurred, and full digital functionality was restored after approximately two days of recovery efforts.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On the morning of September 14, 2018, Bristol Airport experienced a ransomware attack that disabled its flight information display systems. The infection disrupted digital screens in arrivals and departures areas, forcing staff to implement manual alternatives immediately. Airport authorities used social media platforms to notify passengers about the disruption throughout the weekend, advising travelers to arrive early and allow additional time for check-in procedures. For approximately 48 hours spanning Friday, Saturday, and the intervening night, operational staff replaced digital displays with handwritten whiteboards and paper posters to communicate flight check-in details and arrival information. No flight cancellations or delays were directly attributed to the cyber incident, though the manual processes created operational challenges for airport personnel and passengers alike.
Airport management confirmed they received a ransom demand but explicitly refused payment to the attackers. Technical teams took affected systems offline to contain the infection and initiated restoration procedures without capitulating to extortion attempts. Full functionality to the flight information displays was restored by the morning of Sunday, September 16, allowing digital screens to resume normal operations in key terminal areas. The airport acknowledged residual work remained to achieve complete site-wide system coverage but confirmed core functionality had been reestablished. Bristol Airport publicly thanked passengers for their patience during the disruption via social media, emphasizing the resolution of primary display systems while continuing restoration efforts for peripheral infrastructure. The incident concluded without reported data breaches or secondary disruptions beyond the initial display system outage.