Fallout from TfL cyber-attack is slow burning and potentially costly

A potentially big issue is developing for those who now cannot apply for discount Oyster photocards, including children’s Zip cards and the 60+ pass. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

As cyber-attacks go, it could have been worse. In Nightsleeper, the new BBC thriller airing just after Transport for London revealed its systems had been breached, passengers are locked aboard as a train seized by hackers hurtles dangerously towards the capital.

In real life, the troubles for TfL customers are far less dramatic. The actual physical transport services, the buses, trains and tubes – many of which are effectively remote-controlled – have been unaffected by its cyber-attack.