External or internal? Intrigue deepens in Beirut Airport's cyber attack case

The aftermath of the hacking operation targeting Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport is being addressed on parallel tracks.

The first track involves restarting the server, screens in the arrival and departure halls, and the baggage system.

The second track consists of investigations to determine the party responsible for the hacking.

While flight operations have not come to a halt, the issues have not been fully resolved.

The screens remain off, and their activation is linked to the reoperation of the server, which was disconnected after the hacking incident, a process that will take time.

This is due to the fact that the number of screens in the airport's halls exceeds a hundred, and each one needs to be restarted individually.

The same applies to the server and the Baggage Handling System (BHS), which is also affected.

According to observers, the delay in addressing the consequences of the breach is attributed to the fact that the computers at the airport are very old, with no existing security system.

Regarding the investigation conducted by both the Information Branch and the Intelligence Directorate in the Lebanese Army, the entity responsible for the hacking has not been identified, with two hypotheses under investigation.

According to security sources, the cyber attack on the airport was external, occurring over the Internet, where the hacker sent a link via email containing a virus, and upon opening the email, messages appeared on the screens.

 

The sources indicating that identifying the hacker is a difficult task, on the other hand, point to Israeli involvement in this operation.

On the other hand, LBCI sources report the possibility that the operation was internal, which is very advanced, carried out by an employee at the airport.
 
All these possibilities are being verified before announcing the investigation results, which still require a few days, according to  Public Works Minister Ali Hamie.

Whether a technical or a security breach, the result is the same—airport security needs the utmost attention.