On Saturday, the Port of Seattle (SEA) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport experienced a possible cyberattack that created significant problems for travelers.
Fox 13 reported that hundreds of flights were delayed, or even canceled while officials worked to resolve the problem. The authorities urged people to check their airline’s website for the latest information on their flights before heading to an airport this Saturday.
In a post on social media posted Saturday, SEA provided further information and explained the situation.
“Earlier this morning, the Port of Seattle experienced some system outages that indicated a possible hacker attack. The Port has isolated critical systems and is working to restore service. There is no estimated time of return.
The Port of Seattle, including SEA Airport, is experiencing an internet and web systems outage, which is impacting some systems at the airport. Passengers are encouraged to check with their airlines for the latest information for their flights.
— Port of Seattle – ⚓️ (@PortofSeattle) August 24, 2024
In a message sent later, SEA stated that “we are working closely to assist travelers who could be affected.” Please check with our airline partner for information on travel and give yourself extra time to reach SEA.
King 5 reported Saturday that the cyberattack could have affected the internet, phone lines and other systems. At the time, the outlet stated that officials did not have an estimate on when the issue would be resolved. The outlet reported that 225 flights were delayed, and six had been canceled at the time.
In a post on social media early Sunday morning, SEA stated, “The Port of Seattle continues to experience system outages, including SEA Airport.” Port teams are working to restore service, but there is no estimated return date.
The Port of Seattle, including SEA Airport, continues to see system outages. There is not an estimated time for return and Port teams continue to work to restore full service. (Cont.)
— Seattle-Tacoma Intl. Airport (@flySEA) August 25, 2024
CrowdStrike, a U.S.-based cybersecurity company, released faulty software updates for computers running Microsoft Windows in July. This caused major problems at airports around the world and grounded flights.
In the article, it was noted that “Cybersecurity experts have said that they do not believe that these issues are the result of malicious cyberattacks.”
The problems are caused by a corrupted or misconfigured update that CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity company, has sent to its customers. “The incident appears to affect only devices running Windows,” stated the report.
