East Coast Main Line operator hit by cyberattack on passenger data

The Government-owned organization, which operates services on the East Coast Main Line between London and Scotland, stated in a release that it was "made aware of unauthorized access to files managed by a third-party supplier". 

It noted that "no bank, payment card, or password information has been affected".

The statement continued: "We are treating this matter with the highest priority and are working closely with experts and the supplier to understand what occurred and to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

"We will provide further updates as more information becomes available."

LNER is advising passengers to be "cautious of unsolicited communications, particularly those requesting personal information".

The operator mentioned that the third-party supplier involved "does not have access to password data" but it is "always good practice to maintain a secure password and to change passwords regularly".

Transport for London (TfL) experienced a major cyberattack in September last year, which involved the bank account numbers and sort codes of around 5,000 customers being accessed.

The breach caused TfL to limit its online services for several weeks. 

Passengers were unable to view some live travel information and check their journey history for trips paid for by contactless cards.