A ransomware attack on a single tech supplier caused travel chaos across Europe's busiest airports, proving that your cybersecurity is only as strong as your weakest vendor.

What Happened? A Weekend of Travel Chaos

If you traveled through Europe recently, you might have experienced the fallout firsthand. In late September 2025, a ransomware attack targeted Collins Aerospace, a major supplier of automated check-in systems to airports worldwide . The result? A domino effect of disruptions.

• Major Hubs Hit: Airports in London Heathrow, Brussels, Berlin, and Dublin faced significant delays and cancellations .
• Back to the Past: The attack knocked out automated systems, forcing staff to resort to manual check-ins and handwritten boarding passes—a slow process that caused long queues .
• Compounding Factors: The disruptions were worsened by high passenger volumes, such as those from the Berlin Marathon, leading to departure delays of over an hour .

This incident wasn't an isolated case. It followed a wave of attacks on major companies, including Jaguar Land Rover, which also suffered production halts due to cyber incidents .

The Deeper Problem: It's Not Just About Your Own Defenses

The core issue here wasn't a failure by the airports themselves, but a supply chain attack. This occurs when hackers target a less-secure third-party supplier to gain access to its much larger clients.

Rafe Pilling, director of threat intelligence at Sophos, notes that while such large-scale disruptive attacks are still the exception, they are becoming more visible because attackers increasingly target high-profile victims for maximum impact . A survey by German industry group Bitkom found that ransomware is the most common form of cyberattack, with one in seven companies having paid a ransom . This shows a widespread vulnerability that attackers are all too willing to exploit.

3 Lessons Every Business Must Learn

You might not run an airport, but your company almost certainly relies on external vendors for critical services like cloud storage, payment processing, or specialized software. This incident offers crucial lessons for any modern business.

1. Know Your Vendors' Security Posture. Before signing a contract, ask potential vendors tough questions about their cybersecurity practices. Do they conduct regular penetration testing? How do they handle data encryption? What is their incident response plan? Your security standards must extend to your partners .
2. Have a Manual Backup Plan. The airports that fared best were those that could quickly switch to contingency measures. Ask yourself: If our primary software provider goes offline, can we operate? Develop and regularly test manual workarounds for your most critical processes to ensure business continuity during an outage .
3. Prioritize Rapid Detection and Response. Since you can't always prevent a third-party breach, focus on how quickly you can spot and contain the fallout. Implement monitoring tools that alert you to unusual activity and ensure your team knows exactly whom to contact and what to do if a vendor-related incident occurs .

Building a Resilient Future

The Collins Aerospace incident is a powerful reminder that in our interconnected digital economy, risk is shared. Cybersecurity is no longer just about building higher walls around your own organization.

Proactive vendor risk management is not an IT niche; it's a business essential. By thoroughly vetting partners, insisting on transparency, and preparing for failures, you can build a resilient organization that can withstand the shocks of an attack on your supply chain.