The FBI has issued a warning to the nation’s airlines amid concerns they may become the newest victims of an infamous cybercriminal group.
Hacker gang Scattered Spider gained notoriety in 2023 after breeching several high profile Las Vegas casinos. The group was also reportedly to blame for a June breech of several major insurance companies, including Aflac.
The FBI warned in a post on X that airlines could be the next victims of Scattered Spider.
“The FBI has recently observed the cybercriminal group Scattered Spider expanding its targeting to include the airline sector,” the agency wrote in the post. “These actors rely on social engineering techniques, often impersonating employees or contractors to deceive IT help desks into granting access.
“Once inside, Scattered Spider actors steal sensitive data for extortion and often deploy ransomware,” it added. “The FBI is actively working with aviation and industry partners to address this activity and assist victims. Early reporting allows the FBI to engage promptly, share intelligence across the industry, and prevent further compromise. If you suspect your organization has been targeted, please contact your local FBI office.”
Cyber attacks can prove to be crippling to the aviation industry. One such attack at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in 2024 led to a three-day outage of internet, phone and other systems, causing extended wait times for travelers.
The warning comes as the airline industry has been dealing with a series of Air Traffic Control outages at major airports because of antiquated technology. There had been multiple outages in May at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Denver International Airport also dealt with communication outages in May.
“We’re using equipment that looks like it’s off the Apollo 13 set,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said earlier in May when he unveiled a plan to build an entirely new Air Traffic Control system. He said the current system is so “antiquated” that sometimes replacement parts can’t even be found on eBay.
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