According to the reports from London– U.K. transport officials and police, people in 19 large railway stations found messages containing anti-Islamic rhetoric when attempting to connect to free Wi-Fi; London’s police and transport officials responded to a cyber-security issue. Important London termini, in addition to other stations such as Birmingham New Street and Manchester Piccadilly, are affected.
The event in question occurred on September 25. When passengers arrived, they were met with a webpage that said, “We love you, Europe,” and then had offensive material about Muslims that alluded to several terrorist acts. The station’s management company, Network Rail, quickly turned down the Wi-Fi to stop additional exposure and verified that no passenger data had been compromised.
Network Rail issued a statement stating, “This service is provided via a third party and has been suspended while an investigation is underway.” Additionally, the British Transport Police revealed that they are looking into the emergence of anti-Islamic messages on the Network Rail Wi-Fi network.
The Wi-Fi service provider, Telent, said the malicious landing page was a result of an “unauthorized change” that was performed with the proper login and password of an admin. A criminal inquiry has been launched over the event.
This cyberattack happened following a more severe event that impacted Transport for London (TfL) early in September. During that attack, client details such as their names and contact details were also compromised. Regarding the TfL attack, a teenager aged 17 years was arrested but was released on bail. Network Rail insists that security checks are still ongoing through the Wi-Fi network and is expected to be back operational during the weekend.
Glasgow Central, London Bridge, and London Victoria are among the other stations affected by the incident. The investigation continues as officials work to prevent any further cyber threats.
