LONDON, (Reuters) – Chinese hackers are suspected of accessing email and travel details of about nine million easyJet customers, said two sources familiar with the investigation into a cyberattack disclosed by the British airline yesterday.
The sources said the hacking tools and techniques used in the January attack pointed to a group of suspected Chinese hackers that has targeted multiple airlines in recent months. The news of the data breach could result in a hefty fine for the budget airline, which has already been forced to ground its flights because of the COVID-19 pandemic and is battling its founder and biggest shareholder in a long-running dispute over the carrier’s business strategy. An easyJet spokeswoman declined to comment on who was responsible for the attack and Reuters could not determine on whose behalf the hackers were working.
The Chinese embassy in London did not respond to a request for comment. Beijing has repeatedly denied conducting offensive cyber operations and says it is frequently the victim of such attacks itself.
Johan Lundgren, easyJet’s chief executive, said there was heightened concern about personal data being used for online scams as more people worked from home because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
