Cyber Attack Leaves a Sickly Canary in London's Underground
A cyber attack by a teenager last month has highlighted vulnerabilities in a critical piece of UK infrastructure.
A cyber attack has left London Underground’s online ticketing system disrupted for weeks.
Photographer: Oli Scarff/Getty Images
The carriages and seats on the London Underground are typically dusty and a bit shabby, but the world’s oldest metro system generally does a good job of shifting the UK capital’s population around, dealing with as many as five million passengers a day across 272 stations and 402 kilometers (250 miles) of track. What may be of more concern are the antiquated and rickety parts of the network that commuters can’t see.
That’s a thought that has loomed into view for many patrons — including this correspondent — as disruption to the Oyster card-payment system enters its sixth week following a cyberattack on train operator Transport for London, or Tfl, at the beginning of September. The National Crime Agency arrested a 17-year-old male in the English midlands a few days later, but online ticketing services remain disrupted as the police and the National Cyber Security Centre investigate.