Another day, another cyber attack. This time it’s Bristol Airport.

It has been reported that a speculative ransomware attack on the airport resulted in its information screens being taken offline, and flight information being written on whiteboards, although no flights were delayed.

An airport spokesman said: “We believe there was an online attempt to target part of our administrative systems and that required us to take a number of applications offline as a precautionary measure, including the one that provides our data for flight information screens. That was done to contain the problem and avoid any further impact on more critical systems.”

The airport admitted to taking a “cautious approach” to rectify the problem, but that was to ensure that none of its safety or security systems were put at risk.

Ransomware is a type of malicious programme that demands payment after launching a cyber attack on a computer system. Bristol Airport maintains that no ransom was paid to get its systems working again. It is carrying out an investigation to find out what happened.

Ransomware has become increasingly popular among cyber criminals, and costs organisations millions each year in payouts as well as loss of earnings through business impact and reputational damage. Download our infographic to learn more about what ransomware is, how it works and what you can do to stop it.

With malicious links and attachments accounting for 59% of ransomware infections, organisations of all sizes and types must ensure staff are trained to be vigilant and secure. Our ten-minute Phishing and Ransomware – Human patch e-learning course allows you to educate your staff quickly and cost-effectively.