Atlanta airport stops potential cyberattack Friday morning
The Brief
A denial-of-service (DoS) attack briefly disrupted the website for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Friday, though airport operations were not impacted.
The ATL technology team quickly detected the attack and implemented standard protective measures to restore website access.
Cyberattacks on airports are often aimed at causing disruption or stealing sensitive data; the incident comes days after a separate data breach affected Cobb County government systems.
ATLANTA - Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport confirmed a brief disruption to its website Friday morning following a denial-of-service (DoS) attack.
What we know
According to airport officials, the ATL technology team detected the cyberattack and quickly implemented standard protective measures to restore access. While users may have experienced a short delay in accessing the website, airport operations were not affected.
What they're saying
"There is no impact to operations," officials said in a statement. "The team followed protocol and implemented a standard set of protections to ensure the availability of the website."
The incident appears to have been contained, and the airport's website is now functioning normally.
What we don't know
At this time, we do not know who was responsible for the attempted attack.
Big picture view
Hackers usually target airports to cause a disruption and gain attention. The most common type of attack is a DoS attack. However, airports do handle massive amounts of personal data, including passenger information, payment details, and travel records, which can also make them an appealing target.
Some attacks may come from foreign entities looking to gather intelligence, test cybersecurity defenses, or create broader disruptions as part of geopolitical tensions.
A successful attack on an airport can also damage the public's trust in its security and digital infrastructure.
What we know
A data breach on March 21 forced Cobb County officials to shut down multiple systems last week.
RELATED: Cobb County server outage disrupting services for residents
Cobb County Chairwoman Lisa Cupid confirmed during a press conference that an unauthorized user hacked into the county's servers. Cupid said Wednesday that if they found out any of the taxpayers' sensitive information was compromised, they would notify those who were affected.
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