Cyber Threat Radar – Transport for London (TfL) has enlisted the assistance of the National Crime Agency (NCA) to address the recent cyberattack on its network.
Technology specialists are currently assessing the extent of the damage resulting from the breach. Nevertheless, TfL has indicated that initial findings suggest customer data remains secure and that the transport network and its services have not been impacted.
Unauthorized Access Attempt On TfL’s Systems
During regular monitoring activities, TfL identified an attempt by an individual to gain unauthorized access to its systems and took immediate action to restrict their access. Despite TfL’s swift response to thwart the attackers from infiltrating the network, it appears this incident was alarmingly close to a catastrophic security breach.
TfL serves as the integrated transport authority for the UK capital, overseeing the daily operations of the city’s buses, trains, trams and underground services. Customers received notification about the attack in a message sent last week.
TfL’s Chief Technology Officer, Shashi Verma, stated:
- We have introduced a number of measures to our internal systems to deal with an ongoing cyber security incident. The security of our systems and customer data is very important to us and we will continue to assess the situation throughout and after the incident.
- Although we’ll need to complete our full assessment, at present, there is currently no evidence that any customer data has been compromised. There is currently no impact to TfL services and we are working closely with the National Crime Agency and the National Cyber Security Centre to respond to the incident.
A Near Miss For TfL
“Given the essential function that TfL serves in facilitating transportation across the capital, a significant breach of its systems could have led to extensive and severe disruptions,” said Liam Davenport, Global Cybersecurity Account Director, SentryBay. “This recent incident should be regarded as a significant close call even if the organization seems to have successfully prevented a major cyberattack, which, had it been executed, might have paralyzed London. SentryBay stands ready to assist TfL with our proven Armored Client solution that prevents data breaches arising from cyberattackers using malware carrying keylogging, screen capture and DLL injection payloads.”
Last year, TfL experienced a cyberattack by the Russian-speaking Clop ransomware group, resulting in the theft of personal information belonging to 13,000 individuals.On
