LONDON: A man has been arrested in the UK for posting an Islamophobic message on 19 railway station Wi-Fi networks across the country.
Stations included Manchester Piccadilly, Birmingham New Street, Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Central, Liverpool Lime Street, Leeds, Bristol Temple Meads, and several in London, such as London Bridge, Cannon Street, Charing Cross, Clapham Junction, Euston, King’s Cross, Liverpool Street, Paddington, Victoria, and Waterloo.
Upon logging into the free Wi-Fi, users encountered a page that stated, “we love you, Europe,” and claimed, “the Islamisation of Europe is already underway.” The message ominously added, “this is just a small taste of what’s coming,” referencing the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing and displaying images of the 22 victims.
The message was swiftly removed, and the suspect, whose identity has not been disclosed, was detained under the 1990 Computer Misuse Act and the 1998 Malicious Communications Act. He is believed to be an employee of Global Reach Technology, the company that provides internet services at many UK stations.
British Transport Police confirmed they received reports of the cyberattack featuring Islamophobic content on some Network Rail Wi-Fi services. Network Rail, responsible for the UK’s tracks and stations, stated that no data had been compromised and anticipated restoring services by the weekend after completing final security checks.
Telent, the company that manages Wi-Fi at UK stations, acknowledged the cybersecurity incident and is working with Network Rail and other stakeholders to investigate the matter.
