Morn News

A notorious cybercriminal group has shifted its attention to the aviation industry, successfully breaching the computer networks of multiple airlines in the United States and Canada.

This month, according to the FBI and private experts responding to the hacks.

The hacking hasn’t affected airline safety, but it has top cyber executives at major airlines across the United States on alert because of the hacking suspects: A network of young cybercriminals called “Scattered Spider” who are known for their aggressive efforts to extort or embarrass their victims. It’s a fresh headache for the travel industry as the busy summer travel season kicks into high gear. This is now the third major U.S. business sector in the last two months, after insurance and retail, to face a flurry of cyberattacks tied to the criminal group.

The hackers target big companies and their IT contractors, “which means anyone in the airline ecosystem, including trusted vendors and contractors, could be at risk,” the FBI said Friday night in a statement that named Scattered Spider as the perpetrator of the airline hacks. “Once inside (a victim’s network), Scattered Spider actors steal sensitive data for extortion and often deploy ransomware,” the FBI said.

The FBI, the statement continued, “is actively working with aviation and industry partners to address this activity and assist victims.”

Hawaiian Airlines and Canada’s WestJet confirmed this week that they were still assessing the fallout from recent cyberattacks, though the airlines did not name the perpetrators. More victims in the aviation industry could come forward, sources briefed on the investigation said.

Exit mobile version