It began subtly, almost imperceptibly, as malicious scripts quietly infiltrated the airline's website and mobile app. For weeks, these digital intruders lurked, unseen, intercepting the sensitive payment card details of unsuspecting customers as they booked their flights.
It was a silent theft, affecting a staggering 380,000 individuals, their names, addresses, payment information, and booking details siphoned away into the digital ether.
The alarm bells didn't ring from within BA's own systems. Instead, the first tremors of discovery came from the customers themselves. Disturbed by suspicious activity on their bank statements, they began to question, to report.
Only then did the full scope of the attack begin to emerge, revealing a significant lapse in the airline's data protection. Investigations would later reveal that BA's security systems were, regrettably, outdated, leaving them vulnerable to such an exploitation.
The breach remained undetected for weeks, a critical period during which attackers had free rein to collect vast amounts of personal data.
When the truth finally came to light, the fallout was immediate and far-reaching. The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) initially levied a colossal fine of £183 million against British Airways.
This was the unfortunate data breach of British Airways in the year 2018.
Let's find out why this happened.
So what does "Vulnerable and Outdated Systems" actually mean?
In simple terms, this happens when systems are running old software that hasn't been updated or maintained.
The system may still work. It may look fine. Users may not notice anything wrong.
But underneath, weaknesses haven't been fixed.
And attackers don't need something brand new.
They just need something neglected.
And this is where it hit me personally
For the longest time, my phone has been doing that thing:
"New update available." "Install now." "Storage space not enough."
And honestly? My reaction is usually annoyance.
The phone works fine. I never even have enough storage space to begin with anyway.
But after learning about vulnerable and outdated systems… I paused.
Oh.
So this is what they're trying to prevent.
These updates aren't just about new features or rearranged icons. Many of them fix security issues — small weaknesses that, if ignored, could turn into something much bigger.
So this is your sign.
Update your phone. Please. Update it.
(I'm laughing as I'm writing this because that notification is still staring me in the face.)
What does this look like in real systems?
This vulnerability shows up when organizations:
- Use old libraries or plugins
- Run software that is no longer supported
- Ignore updates because "everything still works"
- Don't regularly maintain their systems
Everything may appear normal on the surface.
But underneath, gaps are forming.
That's what makes it dangerous.
In the British Airways case, flights were being booked. Payments were being processed. From the outside, everything looked fine.
But something underneath was outdated — and that was enough.
The Main Solution: Regular Patching
The strongest defense against vulnerable and outdated systems is regular patching.
So what is patching?
Patching simply means updating software to fix known problems, especially security issues.
When developers discover a flaw, they release an update to fix it. That update is called a patch.
If it isn't installed, the weakness remains.
It's really that simple.
Security isn't always about building something new.
Sometimes, it's about maintaining what you already built.
Final Thoughts
A system doesn't suddenly become insecure.
It becomes insecure when it's neglected.
Security isn't just about strong foundations. It's about consistent care.
It's really simple when you think about it, and building the right foundations has never been more important.
Catch you in the next post!