Port of Seattle says it was hit with possible cyberattack; outage affects airport, phone systems
The Port of Seattle reported a possible cyberattack on Saturday, August 24, 2024, causing widespread internet and systems outages that affected the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac), phone lines, and websites. The disruption began around 9 a.m. PT and persisted through the weekend, with no timeline for restoration.
Key Impacts:
Airport operations: Sea-Tac advised travelers to use airline apps, check in online, and avoid checking bags due to issues with the baggage sorting system.
Flight info displays and Port communications systems were down.
TSA operations remained unaffected, and Alaska Airlines was still running a full flight schedule.
The Port’s website and maritime facility phone lines were still offline as of Sunday.
Broader Context:
This is part of a growing trend of cyber threats against U.S. critical infrastructure.
The incident follows a recent global IT disruption linked to a CrowdStrike update and occurs amid ongoing concerns about foreign cyber threats to U.S. ports.
President Biden has issued an executive order to improve port cybersecurity.
Seattle has faced previous attacks, including a ransomware incident at the Seattle Public Library in May.
