Minister of Public Works and Transport in the caretaker government, Ali Hamieh, confirmed at Rafic Hariri International Airport that "security agencies and specialists are still at Beirut airport investigating the electronic breach" that occurred on Sunday, assessing the extent of the damage, with answers expected in two days due to the complexity of the issue. Hamieh pointed out that "the security agencies monitored the breach incident with us until the early hours."
In a press conference, Hamieh revealed that "there is no answer yet as to whether the breach at the airport was internal or external; the security devices will clarify this in a few days, and work is ongoing to address the damages." He emphasized that "no flights have been delayed between yesterday and today, and cyber security is now a reality in all countries worldwide; this has nothing to do with administrative negligence, as it is a known breach affecting all countries and their institutions, and we need to activate a cybersecurity strategy in Lebanon."
He stated that "80% of the damages at the airport due to the breach have been addressed, and the remaining part is being tackled in cooperation with relevant security and technical agencies." Hamieh noted that "about 70% of the airport's screens are now functioning as before, and efforts are being made on the others sequentially."
He announced that "the challenge today is to implement radical measures and secure funding for them so that what happened does not recur and we can be 99% secure."
**Alternative Plan**
The cyber attack that targeted the departure and arrival screens at the airport led to a malfunction in the baggage screening system (BHS), and the inspection unit of the internal security forces at the airport is working to implement the alternative plan, maintaining normal operations at the airport with all security and administrative agencies involved.
