Network Rail Details

    Organization Logo

    Network Rail

    London, England • 42000 employees • Transportation

    https://www.networkrail.co.uk
    United Kingdom

    Industry

    Transportation

    Security Incidents

    1

    Network Rail is a British public sector company responsible for owning, maintaining, and developing the railway infrastructure in Great Britain. It operates most of the railway network in England, Scotland, and Wales, overseeing tracks, signals, tunnels, bridges, level crossings, and stations. The organization was established in 2002, taking over from the privately-owned Railtrack, following a series of operational and financial challenges faced by the latter.

    The primary purpose of Network Rail is to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the railway network while supporting the growth of...
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    Security Incidents

    Network Rail Breach of Sep 2024
    Severity Score
    Significant to High

    Type

    Corporate Breach

    Summary

    Network Rail experienced a cybersecurity incident on September 25, 2024, affecting the free Wi-Fi services at 20 major stations across the UK. Users attempting to connect to the stations' Wi-Fi networks were greeted with Islamophobic messages linked to the 2017 Manchester Arena bombings. The compromised landing pages impacted stations in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Reading, Glasgow, Bristol, and others.

    The British Transport Police (BTP) initiated an investigation and reported the incident occurred through an unauthorized change made via a legitimate administrator account of Global...
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    Severity

    The cyber incident at Network Rail targeted the free Wi-Fi landing pages at 20 major UK train stations, displaying offensive, Islamophobic messages referencing the 2017 Manchester Arena bombings. The attack compromised the Wi-Fi services operated by Telent, impacting critical infrastructure and causing significant disruption to commuter communications. Although no personal data was affected, the breach highlights serious vulnerabilities in public Wi-Fi systems and critical national infrastructure, raising concerns about network maintenance and cybersecurity measures.

    Given the widespread impa...
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    Impact

    The recently concluded investigation into the cybersecurity incident at Network Rail revealed that the breach involved the defacement of Wi-Fi landing pages at major UK train stations. The manipulated landing pages displayed offensive, Islamophobic messages, causing significant concern among passengers and halting free Wi-Fi services across 20 stations. This malicious activity did not result in the exposure of customer data, as confirmed by Telent and Global Reach, the Wi-Fi service providers.

    The interruption of Wi-Fi services, though temporary, brought to light critical vulnerabilities in t...
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