A Russian hacker undertook a series of attacks on American airports’ public-facing websites, ABC News reports, taking down the sites but not impacting any vital services at the airports like air traffic control, security or communications.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates six airports in the New York City metropolitan region, reported the LaGuardia Airport website was knocked out around 3 a.m. ET Monday morning. Other attacks were reported at Des Moines International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport, with most able to get their sites up within hours.
Saying “It’s an inconvenience,” one of the authorities said when asked for a comment, noting that the attack was a “denial of public access” attempt, knocking out the consumer-facing websites that promote airport services, features and conveniences.