The Swiss voice in the world since 1935

Swiss-based airport services firm suffers ransomware attack

Cargo being taken off an aircraft
Swissport services a number of international airports and airlines globally. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Swissport, the world’s largest airport ground services and cargo handling company, has been targeted by ransomware hackers.

The canton Zurich-based firm said it spotted the hack early enough on Thursday to contain potential damage to its IT systems. Some flights have been delayed at Zurich airport and passengers are being warned of further potential disruption.

Swissport’s website was forced offline by the cyberattack and the company said some services had been affected for both passengers and freight.

“The situation has been contained and measures have been taken to prevent further spread,” a spokesperson told Swiss public broadcaster SRF.

Swissport is the latest high profile cyberattack attack in Switzerland in recent months.

In January, the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross said its humanitarian services had been compromised by a hack.

Swiss municipalities have also been hacked, including the towns of Montreux and Rolle in western Switzerland.

The group that hacked the Rolle database posted information on the dark net and warned it could attack other towns, companies or hospitals.

And a hacker recently gained access to thousands of commuter details in the Swiss Railways system, but chose to publicise the weak spot rather than cause damage.

Swissport was sold to a consortium of international investors by its Chinese owners in 2020 after suffering losses from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Buying a house in Switzerland is getting more expensive, +4% in one year

More

Swiss house prices rise 4% in a year

This content was published on The cost of buying a home in Switzerland rose by 4.1% year-on-year in the last quarter and by 0.7% compared to the previous three months.

Read more: Swiss house prices rise 4% in a year
Swiss suspends flights over Pakistan

More

SWISS suspends flights over Pakistan

This content was published on Swiss International Air Lines will avoid Pakistani airspace until further notice due to rising tension between India and Pakistan.

Read more: SWISS suspends flights over Pakistan

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR