Global travel agency Thomas Cook’s Indian division is currently grappling with the aftermath of a significant cyber attack that has severely disrupted its IT infrastructure. In a formal announcement made on December 31, the company disclosed that it had shut down affected systems as a precautionary measure following the incident.
The company stated in a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) that it was taking immediate action to investigate the cyber attack. “We wish to inform you that there has been an incident involving a cyber attack on our IT infrastructure,” the statement read. Thomas Cook emphasized its commitment to addressing the situation by collaborating with cybersecurity experts to assess the extent of the breach and implement necessary remedial actions.
As part of its response, Thomas Cook has temporarily closed its impacted systems, which has led to operational disruptions. The company’s website was reported to be inaccessible, displaying an Error 503 message, indicating that the site was in a stopped state. This error typically suggests that the server is currently unable to handle requests due to maintenance or overload issues.
The repercussions of this cyber incident were also felt in the stock market, where Thomas Cook India Ltd shares closed down by 0.53%, settling at ₹195.55 after the market session on December 31. This decline followed a previous close of ₹196.60, reflecting investor concerns over the potential impact of the cyber attack on the company’s operations. Despite this setback, Thomas Cook had recently reported positive financial results, with a 37.77% year-on-year increase in net profit for the July to September quarter, amounting to ₹64.89 crore. Additionally, revenue from operations rose by 8.7% to ₹2003.76 crore during the same period.
As investigations continue, stakeholders are keenly watching how Thomas Cook navigates this challenging situation and what measures will be implemented to restore normal operations and enhance cybersecurity protocols in the future.