Cleveland Hopkins International Airport has been target of more cyber attacks, but security upgrades blocked them

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland Hopkins International Airport has spent nearly $2 million on upgrading computer security since a malware attack in April took down message boards in the terminal for about a week.

But the attacks have continued.

Airport Director Robert Kennedy said Wednesday that the airport, much like other government entities, has been a target of an unspecified number of attempted hacks – all of which were foiled.

“Since the malware attack, we’ve been attacked more,” Kennedy told City Council’s Transportation Committee.

Kennedy credited efforts that have bolstered the system for successfully fending off the attacks.

Malware was discovered April 21 on several Cleveland Hopkins International Airport computing systems, knocking out flight and baggage information boards and the airport’s internal email system.

The problems had no impact on flights or airport security, according to the city. The airport deployed extra staff to help travelers find their flights and locate baggage after arriving in Cleveland.

It took the airport a week to get the systems back online.

Computer attacks have become a serious issue for governments across the country.

The New York Times reported in August that more than 40 municipalities were victims of cyberattacks so far in 2019. That included large cities, such as Baltimore, and small towns.

The attackers in most cases conceal their identities. Many of the attacks originated overseas and the attackers frequently have sought payment in crypto currency, which itself can be hard to track.

Cleveland officials said in April they intended to integrate the airport’s computer systems with those of the rest of the city, adding additional firewalls and making it more difficult for computer intrusions to be successful.

The improvements at the airport included upgrading equipment that had been in use since 2013, Kennedy said Wednesday. Additional staff was added to the computer security teams and additional training was provided to employees.

Kennedy also credited assistance from the FBI, which also helped with the investigation of the malware attack in April, for helping to strengthen computer security.

“Other airports are now looking at us,” Kennedy said.

Comments are closed.