EasyJet says hackers stole 9 million customers' personal data, including email addresses and credit card details

• EasyJet has been hit with a cyberattack that compromised the personal information of roughly 9 million customers, the company said Tuesday.
• Hackers stole email addresses and travel data of all 9 million customers, as well as the credit card details of 2,208 customers, according to the company.
• EasyJet said it has closed off the unauthorized access and will notify affected customers this week.

EasyJet was hacked by a "highly sophisticated source" who stole personal information of around 9 million customers, the company said in a statement Tuesday.

Hackers stole the email addresses and travel information of all 9 million customers affected, as well as the credit card details of 2,208 customers, according to the company's announcement. The UK-based company said it has closed off the unauthorized access and will alert customers who are affected in the coming week.

"We would like to apologise to those customers who have been affected by this incident," EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren said in a statement. "We take the cyber security of our systems very seriously and have robust security measures in place to protect our customers' personal information. However, this is an evolving threat as cyber attackers get ever more sophisticated."

An EasyJet spokesperson told Business Insider that customers whose credit card details were compromised have already been notified, and other affected customers will be notified by May 26. Customers who don't hear from the company by that date were not affected.

Airlines like EasyJet are already bracing for the harsh economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has devastated travel worldwide. EasyJet's fleet is currently grounded despite protests from its founder and biggest shareholder.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also created an opportunity for hackers. According to cybersecurity experts, widespread disruption and an increase in remote work have reshaped the threat landscape, providing hackers new vulnerabilities to exploit.

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