'First of its kind' cyber attack grounds Polish airplanes

This is not a dialogue from a science fiction movie. What was always feared has happened. Cyber hackers have managed to ground Polish flagship carrier LOT at Warsaw’s Frederic Chopin Airport on Sunday. The cyber attack targeted the airline’s ground operations system. The cyber attack led to the cancellation of 10 flights from Warsaw.

A statement on the Polish website said that due to the attack, the firm could not prepare its flight plans. However, the firm also confirmed that this had no effect on the aircraft systems and those that were in the air were completely safe. The attacks which lasted close to five hours brought the ground operations to a complete halt. The airline said this cyber attack must serve as a warning to other airlines too.

Hacking threats around airlines have increased, with the International Civil Aviation organization warning that cyber crime was a severe threat to safety in the skies.