FBI Warns U.S. Airlines of Rising Cyber Threat From Hackers

The FBI has issued a formal warning to U.S. airlines over growing cybersecurity threats from the hacker group Scattered Spider, known for targeting major corporations and government agencies. The alert, released on June 28, urges aviation companies to strengthen defenses and report any breaches immediately.

“The threat from Scattered Spider is ongoing and rapidly evolving,” the FBI said, adding that organizations should avoid paying ransoms and report incidents promptly.

The group is suspected of breaching at least two major U.S. airlines in June, using advanced social engineering tactics to bypass security protocols. According to CNN, hackers exploited remote access tools and disabled multi-factor authentication (MFA) by impersonating employees and tricking IT help desks into adding unauthorized MFA devices.

Once inside, Scattered Spider actors steal sensitive data for extortion and often deploy ransomware. The FBI says the group has shown the ability to remain undetected within systems and has previously monitored internal communications like Slack, Teams, and email to avoid exposure.

This threat mirrors previous high-profile attacks against MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment. In some cases, the hackers even joined incident response calls to anticipate security measures.

The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are actively collaborating with the aviation industry to track threats and assist affected organizations.

Companies in aviation, telecom, healthcare, and hospitality are advised to review internal access controls and increase cybersecurity awareness. The FBI warned that more indictments and possible sanctions could follow if individuals linked to Scattered Spider are identified.

Related News: https://airguide.info/category/air-travel-business/travel-health-security/

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, newsweek.com