TfL cyberattack could’ve brought London ‘to a standstill’

Transport for London (TfL), the organisation responsible for the capital’s vast public transport network, is grappling with an ongoing “cybersecurity incident” that has disrupted operations at its corporate headquarters. 

News of the incident broke yesterday evening, with TfL issuing a statement confirming the situation: “We are currently dealing with an ongoing cybersecurity incident. The security of our systems and customer data is very important to us, and we have taken immediate action to prevent any further access to our systems.”

While the exact nature of the incident remains undisclosed, experts like Andrew Brown, Software Security Expert at Propel Tech, believe this incident serves as a stark warning: “The TfL cybersecurity incident (they are currently sharing very little information about it—and rightly so) should be viewed as a sizeable near miss in the realm of cybersecurity.”

Brown highlights the attractiveness of such infrastructure to malicious actors: “It serves as a reminder for organisations in charge of mass transit, both in the UK and further afield, just how much of a lucrative target this type of infrastructure is for bad actors.”

TfL assured the public that it is “working closely with the relevant government agencies to respond” and will provide updates as the situation develops. 

Shashi Verma, Chief Technology Officer at TfL, said: “We have introduced a number of measures to our internal systems to deal with an ongoing cybersecurity incident. Although we’ll need to complete our full assessment, at present, there is currently no evidence that any customer data has been compromised.” 

Reassuringly, Verma confirmed that “there is currently no impact to TfL services” and highlighted their collaborative efforts with national security bodies: “We are working closely with the National Crime Agency and the National Cyber Security Centre to respond to the incident.”

However, Brown warns against complacency: “It seems those in charge of cybersecurity at TfL have managed to get ahead of this with a rapid response, protecting both consumer data and ensuring zero disruptions to users—an impressive feat. However, just because they’ve thwarted it this time doesn’t mean they can get complacent.”

“The fact that their backroom systems were targeted highlights vulnerabilities that could have had far-reaching consequences. A successful breach could have led to a disruption in service – the tube alone reached four million journeys a day at the end of last year – that could’ve brought the city to a standstill this morning, not to mention data breaches on a massive scale.”

Initial reports suggest that the incident has affected backroom systems at TfL’s corporate offices, prompting staff to work remotely where possible.

Brown sees this as an indication of further action required: “It’s clear from the decision to ask employees to work remotely that there is still a lot of work to be done, no doubt with the support of the National Cyber Security Centre, who will be trying to establish exactly who was behind this and what their motives were.”

This incident underscores the critical importance of robust cybersecurity measures, as Brown emphasises: “If anything, this incident should remind us all that robust cybersecurity measures must not only be ‘in place’ but must also be regularly checked, updated, and tested to ensure they are up to the job.

“This requires staff, resources, and funding. Cybersecurity is no longer a ‘nice to have’; it is a must-have for anyone handling customer data and with the responsibility of providing services to the public, especially at the scale of TfL.”

TfL has not yet disclosed the nature of the attack, nor the identity of any potential perpetrators. However, the organisation’s swift action and collaboration with leading cybersecurity agencies signify a commitment to containing the incident and safeguarding customer data.

“We are working with Transport for London, alongside law enforcement partners, to fully understand the impact of an incident,” said a spokesperson for the NCSC.

(Photo by Francesca Grima)

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Tags: cyber attack, cyber security, cyberattack, cybersecurity, europe, hacking, London, Security, tfl, transport for london, uk