LIRR wasn't affected by cyberattack, railroad president says, but he warns of others

The Long Island Rail Road was not impacted by an April cyberattack of the MTA’s computer systems, but future attacks could be on the way, the LIRR’s president said Thursday.

On Wednesday, Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials acknowledged that they had been informed by the FBI and other federal agencies that they were the victims of a cyberattack. The New York Times, which first reported the attack, said a hacking group with links to China appeared to have penetrated three of 18 MTA computer systems in April.

MTA officials said their security systems quickly shut down the attack and prevented it from spreading, and that riders were never at risk. LIRR president Phillip Eng on Thursday added "there were no impacts to the Long Island Rail Road" from the attack.

"All of the agencies are aggressively working together, because we anticipate there will be more attacks," Eng said. "We’re working very hard to ensure that all our systems are protected, that all of the vendors that we work with are protected, because we understand that there are many vulnerabilities."

Despite MTA officials’ assurances, Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) on Thursday chided the agency for failing to "provide information on what portion of MTA’s systems were compromised and how that might affect riders."

"The fact that they failed to disclose this attack is deeply concerning," Garbarino said. "Millions of New Yorkers use MTA services every day and they deserve to know if they or their personal information is at risk."

Eng’s remarks came at a news conference at Belmont Park, where he was joined by New York Racing Association officials to announce the return of LIRR service to and from the Belmont Stakes, happening Saturday.

The LIRR will run 11 eastbound trains from Penn Station to Belmont Park Saturday, with departure times ranging from 9:37 a.m. until 4:26 p.m. After the race, trains will operate from Belmont every 15 minutes until the park closes.

"The Long Island Rail Road is, by far, the most reliable way for ticketed spectators to travel," NYRA chief executive Dave O’Rourke said.

Eng also said the LIRR plans to continue running trains to its current Belmont station even after a second station serving the sports complex opens later this year.

By Alfonso A. Castillo

alfonso.castillo@newsday.com@alfonsoreports

Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.