• Authorities await MoDE probe into failing firewall to upgrade

A major cyberattack is suspected to be the cause of widespread flight disruptions at several airports in Sri Lanka and Europe yesterday (20).

In Sri Lanka, the Border Control Computer System at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake was down for over two hours yesterday, from approximately 1.45 p.m. to 4.15 p.m. This outage forced airport officials to revert to manual clearance procedures for all arriving and departing passengers.

Deputy Minister of Ports and Civil Aviation Janitha Ruwan Kodithuwakku stated that a cyberattack was suspected to have caused the system failure. “It was not just us, but several airports had experienced disruptions owing to the suspected cyberattack, including London’s Heathrow. The matter is still being investigated, but we strongly suspect it was a cyberattack,” he said.

He further noted a problem with the airport’s firewall, which had failed multiple times in the past. 

“The Ministry of Digital Economy (MoDE) has been asked to launch an investigation to improve the airport’s cybersecurity. It failed today as well, so once the MoDE has concluded its investigations, we will decide on the next steps to strengthen the firewall,” Kodithuwakku added.

Meanwhile, reports from Europe indicate that several major airports, including London’s Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin Brandenburg, were also hit by a cyberattack. The attack targeted Collins Aerospace, a service provider for check-in and boarding systems, causing significant delays and cancellations as airports switched to manual operations.