For the man in his forties, officers had travelled to West Sussex in England on Tuesday evening to make the arrest. He is behind a cyberattack that crippled operations at several of Europe’s largest airports. The event took place network-wide on Saturday, September 20, impacting major transportation centers including Brussels, Berlin, and London’s Heathrow. The attack mostly targeted automatic check-in systems, causing major disruption at some of the busiest airports across Europe.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has today officially confirmed the arrest. This prosecution is part of a broader investigation into breaches of the Computer Misuse Act. Speaking about the attacks earlier this week, Paul Foster, head of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit, emphasized just how serious this was. He expressed that with cybercrime an ever-present threat around the world, it is still causing disruption to day-to-day operations within the UK.
According to Foster, this arrest is the first step in the right direction. The overall investigation into the incident is in its early phases and still developing.
The cyber-related disruptions on September 20 caused massive ripple effects in delays, confusion, and compromised security for millions of travelers—that’s not acceptable. Automatic check-in systems were made inoperable, stranding thousands of passengers at each of the airports that were affected. This incident illustrates the increased risk of critical infrastructure to cyber-attacks, alarming both government officials and the general public.
During his keynote speech, Foster highlighted the NCA’s role in leading efforts to combat cybercrime.
Cybercrime remains a long-standing international threat, and it is still having a substantial negative impact on the UK. Home Office minister Ben Wallace added: “The NCA is committed to cutting that threat. We are working with partners, both here and abroad, to protect the British public.”
The NCA shared with CNN specifics of the arrest. This data gives a picture of the agency’s proactive front lines in the ongoing fight against cyber threats. The investigation will likely continue to explore the reasons for the attack and any networks that may have been involved.
