British Airways Issues Apology for Severe Data Breach

The airline "is deeply sorry" for its worst-ever cyberattack, which has affected 380,000 customers.

Dark Reading Staff, Dark Reading

September 7, 2018

1 Min Read
Dark Reading logo in a gray background | Dark Reading

It's been a bumpy week for British Airways, which has apologized to 380,000 customers whose credit card information and other personal data was compromised in the worst cyberattack to hit the airline's website and app in the 20-plus years it has been online.

The breach was first detected on Wednesday, Sept. 5, when British Airways learned bookings made during the two weeks prior had been affected by cybercriminals. Between Aug. 21 and Sept. 5, attackers compromised 380,000 card payments and stole customers' names, physical and email addresses, and credit card numbers, expiration dates, and security codes.

BA chairman and chief executive Alex Cruz said the airline is "deeply sorry" for the attack, which he described as "very sophisticated" and "malicious," Reuters reports. Cruz did not describe how attackers gained access to the data, but said the carrier's encryption was not broken.

Read more details here.

BHEURUOPE2018-vplug_Web_Banners_468x60_Sponsor.png

 

Black Hat Europe returns to London Dec 3-6 2018  with hands-on technical Trainings, cutting-edge Briefings, Arsenal open-source tool demonstrations, top-tier security solutions and service providers in the Business Hall. Click for information on the conference and to register.

About the Author

Dark Reading Staff

Dark Reading

Dark Reading is a leading cybersecurity media site.

Keep up with the latest cybersecurity threats, newly discovered vulnerabilities, data breach information, and emerging trends. Delivered daily or weekly right to your email inbox.

You May Also Like


More Insights