London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has warned passengers to remain vigilant after a cyber-attack on a third-party supplier exposed customer contact details and some journey history.
The operator stressed that no financial data, passwords or ticketing systems had been compromised and that train services continue to run as normal.
The breach, which LNER said it was treating “with the highest priority”, highlights the growing risk of cyber-attacks on UK transport operators and their supply chains. While the company confirmed that the supplier involved had no access to bank or payment records, it urged customers to be alert to unsolicited emails or messages, particularly those requesting personal information.
The incident is the latest in a string of high-profile hacks to hit UK businesses and transport services. Transport for London suffered a cyber breach last year affecting financial data for 5,000 customers, while earlier this month production at Jaguar Land Rover was halted by a ransomware attack. Retailers including Marks & Spencer, Harrods and the Co-op have also been targeted this year.
LNER said it is working with cybersecurity experts and the supplier concerned to establish the full scale of the breach and implement additional safeguards. Updates will be provided as investigations progress.
Amy Ingham
Amy is a newly qualified journalist specialising in business journalism at Business Matters with responsibility for news content for what is now the UK’s largest print and online source of current business news.
