Malaysian Airport's Cyber Disruption a Warning for Asia

On March 23, travelers at KLIA reported disruptions with flight information display systems, check-in counters, and other services. While KLIA operator Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) initially confirmed a cyberattack "affecting certain computer systems," the company claimed that operations were not affected. In a speech two days later, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called the disruption "quite heavy" and said that a ransom demand for $10 million had been refused. 

While MAHB, which operates 39 airports across Malaysia, downplayed the impact of the attack, Ibrahim described it as a heavy burden on the operator and cited the ransom demand of $10 million during a March 25 speech marking the nation's 218th Police Day.