FBI Alerts: Scattered Spider Cyber Attacks on Airlines
The FBI has issued an urgent warning about a notorious cybercriminal group called Scattered Spider. This group has successfully breached the computer networks of multiple airlines in the United States and Canada this month. These attacks pose a new challenge for the travel industry, especially during the peak summer travel season.
Hawaiian Airlines and Canada’s WestJet have confirmed they were victims of these recent cyberattacks. Fortunately, both airlines report no significant operational disruptions. However, the FBI warns that these hackers target not only big companies but also their IT contractors. This means that anyone in the airline ecosystem, including trusted vendors and contractors, could be at risk.
According to the FBI statement, “Once inside a victim’s network, Scattered Spider actors steal sensitive data for extortion and often deploy ransomware.” This is the third major US business sector in two months to face attacks from this criminal group, following previous strikes on insurance and retail companies.
The aviation industry’s Aviation ISAC reports that members are “keenly alert to attacks from financially motivated attackers” as cyber threats continue to escalate across the sector.
Source: CNN Business