British Airways hacked: 400,000 customers affected

British Airways, UK”s largest airline, has been hacked, the company confirmed on their official website this week. According to a spokesperson who interviewed with The Telegraph, almost 400,000 customers who booked a flight between 22:58 BST August 21 2018 and 21:45 BST September 5 2018 were affected.

Hackers stole customer personal and payment card data from the website and mobile app, however travel and passport information was not compromised. British Airways customers affected by the breach were contacted on Thursday night and will be reimbursed for any financial loss. The airline warns that no emails will be sent out asking customers for their payment card data, so they should stay alert for any identity theft attempts.

Customers should urgently reset their passwords to ensure the safety of their bank accounts. Also, all are advised to monitor their financial situation and reach out to their banks and card providers, especially if they receive suspicious emails on behalf of the airline.

British Airways announced the incident has been resolved and all activity resumed, customers can check in and make bookings. Relevant authorities have been informed and an investigation is ongoing.

“British Airways continues to investigate with the police and cyber specialists, and has reported the data theft to the Information Commissioner,” the company said.

According to a spokesperson, the airline detected the breach when “a third party noticed some unusual activity and informed us about it. We immediately acted to close down the issue, and started an investigation as a matter of urgency.”