Lebanon's Airport cybersecurity wake-up call: Cyber vulnerabilities exposed

More than ten days after the airport cyberattack, machines and devices have returned to regular operation. The hacking incident disrupted screens and data, causing confusion among travelers arriving and departing.

The hacking operation was solved the following day but affected baggage handling systems (BHS) or baggage tractors, resulting in an alternative manual inspection method.

At the airport, where 40 ticket registration offices send bags through automated tractors, each equipped with a scanning device and data readers, the data-reading devices malfunctioned due to the cyberattack. They were promptly replaced with new devices.

The airport cyber breach shed light on the cybersecurity weaknesses faced by public facilities in Lebanon.

One manifestation of this vulnerability is the failure to adhere to international standards, such as ISO 27001, as experts said to LBCI.

Cybersecurity is a critical issue globally, and the airport incident serves as a warning to address this concern urgently.

This reality can be avoided by applying a strategy approved by the Cabinet in 2018 to establish a security unit that follows the latest developments in cybersecurity to protect the country and its citizens from potential breaches.