Several major railway stations in the UK have been targeted by cyberattacks, disrupting Wi-Fi services and spreading alarming messages about potential terrorist threats in Europe.
Media reports indicate that passengers trying to access station Wi-Fi were met with a warning about a terror attack in Europe. As a result, Wi-Fi services were promptly disabled at the affected stations.
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UK transport officials and police are currently investigating a “cyber-security incident” after users at 19 of the nation’s largest railway stations reported seeing anti-Muslim messages.
On Wednesday evening, passengers attempting to log onto Wi-Fi at stations, including Manchester Piccadilly, Birmingham New Street, London Euston, and Glasgow Central, encountered a landing page that initially read, “We love you, Europe,” followed by an Islamophobic message referencing various terror attacks.
Network Rail, which manages the stations, confirmed that no passenger data was compromised and the Wi-Fi service was swiftly disabled.
“British Transport Police are investigating the incident,” Network Rail stated. “This service is provided by a third party and has been suspended during the investigation.”
The British Transport Police have confirmed they are looking into reports of “Islamophobic messaging on some Network Rail Wi-Fi services.”
Telent, the company responsible for the Wi-Fi at these stations, revealed that an “unauthorized change” had been made to the landing page by someone using a “legitimate administrator account.”
This incident is now part of a criminal investigation.
This recent cyberattack follows an earlier one in early September that targeted Transport for London (TfL), which oversees the city’s buses, subways, and suburban trains.
That breach compromised customer names, contact details, and potentially bank account information, according to TfL, and is being investigated by the National Crime Agency.
A 17-year-old was arrested in connection with the TfL cyberattack, questioned, and later released on bail without charges. Weeks after the incident, TfL’s ability to provide certain online services, such as refunds and real-time transit information, is still impacted.
