The word came out a little late but about three months ago, a "technical
snag" had hit the operations of the newly launched Terminal 3 at the
Indira Gandhi International Airport. Recently it was revealed that it
turned out to be some malicious code, which was sent from a remote
location.
A Cyber hunt has begun with the CBI registering the case under the Indian Penal Code and IT Act. Insiders mention that it was a specially drafted program/code which was designed by an expert to exploit the weakness in the system.
The check-in counters, boarding gates and transfers belts at the airport are maintained using the Common Use Passengers Processing System (CUPPS), maintained by Aeronautical Radio Incorporated (ARINC). The CUPPS uses a common software & hardware platform that integrates all information such as an airline’s reservation system, departure & arrival schedules and even the guests inside a place such as a lounge. The issue began at 2.30 am on 29th June 2011 due to which check-in counters/transfer gates of all the airlines at Terminal 4 became non-operational.
“This forced the airlines to opt for manual check-in and as a result passengers had to wait. There are around 172 CUPPS counters and only a third were functioning online,” said an official. Logs revealed that the hacker broke into the main server and place the malicious code on it. The system remained offline for almost 12 hours before the experts could resolve it. 12 Hours to restore the system? How well are we prepared for such attacks. The airport seriously lacks a good disaster recovery plan.
This is not a first time such an important facility has been hacked. We all have seen how the SCADA systems inside critical nuclear facilities were hacked, placing the remote of a nuclear catastrophe in a hacker's hand.
It was stated that someone remotely hacked the system, but the agencies still took details of the staff which handled the CUPPS system and did not rule out the possibility of an insider's help although unlikely.
As per Guru Prasad Rao, country-head of ARINC: “We have lodged a complaint with relevant authorities and are cooperating with all the stake-holders including DIAL. The investigation into the matter is still pending.” The US company which had developed the CUPPS at T3 in 2009.
Contact => www.facebook.com/ryan.manjothi
A Cyber hunt has begun with the CBI registering the case under the Indian Penal Code and IT Act. Insiders mention that it was a specially drafted program/code which was designed by an expert to exploit the weakness in the system.
The check-in counters, boarding gates and transfers belts at the airport are maintained using the Common Use Passengers Processing System (CUPPS), maintained by Aeronautical Radio Incorporated (ARINC). The CUPPS uses a common software & hardware platform that integrates all information such as an airline’s reservation system, departure & arrival schedules and even the guests inside a place such as a lounge. The issue began at 2.30 am on 29th June 2011 due to which check-in counters/transfer gates of all the airlines at Terminal 4 became non-operational.
“This forced the airlines to opt for manual check-in and as a result passengers had to wait. There are around 172 CUPPS counters and only a third were functioning online,” said an official. Logs revealed that the hacker broke into the main server and place the malicious code on it. The system remained offline for almost 12 hours before the experts could resolve it. 12 Hours to restore the system? How well are we prepared for such attacks. The airport seriously lacks a good disaster recovery plan.
This is not a first time such an important facility has been hacked. We all have seen how the SCADA systems inside critical nuclear facilities were hacked, placing the remote of a nuclear catastrophe in a hacker's hand.
It was stated that someone remotely hacked the system, but the agencies still took details of the staff which handled the CUPPS system and did not rule out the possibility of an insider's help although unlikely.
As per Guru Prasad Rao, country-head of ARINC: “We have lodged a complaint with relevant authorities and are cooperating with all the stake-holders including DIAL. The investigation into the matter is still pending.” The US company which had developed the CUPPS at T3 in 2009.
Contact => www.facebook.com/ryan.manjothi
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