A cyber attack caused disruption for commuters in the UK when past terrorism messages appeared on people’s wi-fi connected devices. Public wi-fi services were suspended at 19 railway stations managed by Network Rail on Wednesday. British Transport Police (BTP) arrested an employee of Network Rail’s wi-fi provider, Global Reach Technologies, on suspicion of computer misuse act offences and malicious communications. The actual internet service for the 19 railway stations is provided by Global Reach through Telent. Screenshots relayed via social media showed some passengers were directed to content listing terrorist attacks in Europe.
While many commuters took to social media to express their concern or share their experiences, others were worried that the breach could be more severe. Network Rail was swift to suspend public wi-fi services until the suspicious materials could be investigated. The spokesperson added that Network Rail was confident wi-fi services would be restored in time for the weekend. The affected stations included several in London (Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Euston, King’s Cross, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, Paddington, Victoria and Waterloo); Reading and Guildford in the southeast; Manchester Piccadilly and Liverpool Lime Street in the northwest; Leeds in west Yorkshire, and Bristol Temple Meads in the west and southwest. Scotland’s Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central were also affected. No other rail systems or data were breached. Network Rail believes that other organisations have also been impacted.
The event highlights how critical it is for organisations, including third parties such as Global Reach and Telent, to be prepared for and respond to cybersecurity attacks. Beyond the disruptions caused, the breach raises the potential for more serious repercussions. Network Rail did the right thing by suspending public wi-fi services while investigating the event. However, despite assurances that the services would be restored by the weekend, the potential for fallout to drag on, whether from commuters concerned about further attacks, or negative media attention, is something Network Rail will need to manage closely
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