Heathrow Airport Launches Investigation after Cybersecurity Breach

Heathrow Airport, the world’s second busiest airport by international passenger traffic, has launched an investigation after a USB stick containing 2.5 GB of security data was discovered in a West London library.

According to the Sunday Mirror, a USB stick containing details of CCTV cameras, tunnels and access to restricted areas found in a London street has led to Britain’s biggest airport launching a “very, very urgent” investigation into the breach. The USB stick contained a total of 76 folders with maps, documents and videos. The discovery was made by an individual who spotted the USB stick plugged into a library computer.

The publication reports that airport insiders are trying to determine if the USB stick and its contents were the result of an “incompetent data breach” or if they were deliberately accessed.

The USB stick even contained the exact routes and paths taken by the Queen when using the airport alongside security measures taken to protect her. The folders also contained files disclosing every kind of ID needed including those used by covert cops to access restricted areas.

A spokesperson for Heathrow Airport confirmed that an investigation is underway while insisting that the airport, one of the largest in the world, has not seen its security compromised.

“The UK and Heathrow have some of the most robust aviation security measures in the world and we remain vigilant to evolving threats by updating our procedures on a daily basis,” the spokesperson stated. “We have reviewed all of our security plans and are confident that Heathrow remains secure.”

We have also launched an internal investigation to understand how this happened and are taking steps to prevent a similar occurrence in future.

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