Weekly Cybersecurity Digest [September, Week 4]
Posted on September 30, 2025
Dear Valued Clients,
Welcome to this week’s cybersecurity digest from Make Sense, your partner in strengthening resilience against evolving digital risks.
Europe’s aviation and manufacturing sectors faced a stress test this week: an airport ransomware arrest, concurrent drone incursions, and JLR’s post-incident financing show how cyber and physical risks now collide. Meanwhile, EU governments are hardening borders with a “drone wall,” Brussels is probing platforms over financial scams, and a major EU-wide cybersecurity services award signals increased institutional readiness.
Our goal is not only to inform but also to provide you with actionable strategies to stay compliant, resilient, and secure in an increasingly complex environment.
✅ Top Stories of the Week
i. UK Arrests Man Over Airport Ransomware Attack
The UK’s National Crime Agency arrested a suspect in West Sussex linked to the ransomware strike that disrupted airport operations across Europe. Authorities said the man was involved in orchestrating the malware deployment and extortion. Investigations continue across EU member states. [Read more on The Verge]
ii. Drones and Cyberattack Test Aviation Defenses
Europe’s aviation infrastructure came under dual pressure from drone incursions and the ransomware-triggered IT outage, showing how physical and cyber threats can converge. Authorities warned that airlines and airports must plan for hybrid disruptions that stretch resources across multiple domains simultaneously. [Read more on Reuters]
iii. Jaguar Land Rover Secures £2bn Credit Line After Cyberattack
UK carmaker JLR lined up a £2 billion emergency facility to shore up liquidity after a September cyberattack forced multi-week factory shutdowns and idled tens of thousands of staff. Management aims to restart production this week while continuing recovery and hardening efforts—a high-profile reminder of industrial cyber risk across Europe. [Read more on Reuters]
✅ Industry Trends & Insights
European Defense Ministers Approve “Drone Wall”
Defense ministers from multiple EU states agreed to accelerate a “drone wall” along external borders. The project aims to combine radar, jammers, and interception systems to counter increasing drone incursions and hybrid threats. Cybersecurity layers will be built into the system. [Read more on AP News]
Experts Warn on Rise of High-Profile Ransomware
Following the airport chaos, experts told Reuters the incident highlights ransomware’s shift to “tier one” critical infrastructure targets. Attacks now combine advanced persistence with extortion techniques designed for maximum disruption, making operational continuity testing and offline backups more important than ever. [Check more details on Reuters]
WeForum: Critical Infrastructure Fragility Exposed
The World Economic Forum warned that the European airport outage illustrates how interdependent systems – from check-in to flight scheduling – can collapse from a single ransomware event. WEF urged stronger public-private cooperation, resilience drills, and investment in redundancy for essential aviation IT platforms. [For more details, visit WEF]
✅ Regulatory & Policy Updates
European Commission Awards €326m Cybersecurity Contract
The European Commission selected Atos, working with Leonardo, to deliver cybersecurity services under a €326 million, four-year framework. The contract will strengthen EU institutions’ security posture with monitoring, threat detection, and incident response capabilities through a cascading procurement model. [Read more on InCyber]
EU Probes Tech Giants Over Online Financial Scams
Under the Digital Services Act, the European Commission asked Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Booking to provide details on how they combat online financial scams and fraudulent apps. Brussels is testing the Act’s enforcement muscle as digital fraud escalates across member states. [Check the details on FT]
✅ Cyber IQ Challenge + Proactive Security Hacks
Quick Quiz: Under which EU law is the European Commission probing tech platforms about online financial scams?
A) NIS2 B) Digital Services Act (DSA) C) Digital Markets Act (DMA) D) eIDAS 2
(Answer at the end)
Smart Security Moves of the Week
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Hybrid disruption-ready: Run one tabletop combining drone + IT outage; verify offline check-in/dispatch.
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Ransomware basics: MFA everywhere, immutable/offline backups, and a 24-hour restore drill.
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Vendors: Least-privilege access, IP allow-lists, and monitor privileged sessions.
✅ Quiz Answer: B) Digital Services Act (DSA)
✅ Conclusion
This week underscored the convergence of cyber and kinetic risk: airport operations strained by malware and drones, industrial output disrupted, and regulators moving fast on platforms and public institutions. Focus your next sprint on hybrid-incident playbooks, backup/restore proof, and vendor access controls—then brief leadership on DSA/NIS2 implications for fraud and resilience.
As always, Make Sense can help translate these signals into auditable controls, exercises, and training that hold up when pressure hits.
Stay secure,
The Make Sense SRL Team & CyberTania
