A shadowy crew of international cyberhackers known as “Scattered Spider” are now believed to be targeting the airline industry, the FBI warned in a new alert.
The mysterious gang, which has been linked to data breaches at insurance giant Aflac and several major retailers in the United Kingdom in recent years, now has its sights set on air travel, the feds said in an urgent warning posted online over the weekend.
“The FBI has recently observed the cybercriminal group Scattered Spider expanding its targeting to include the airline sector,” the agency said. “These actors rely on social engineering techniques, often impersonating employees or contractors to deceive IT help desks into granting access.”
“They target large corporations and their third-party IT providers, which means anyone in the airline ecosystem, including trusted vendors and contractors, could be at risk,” the FBI said.
The underground digital crooks — believed to be led by young hackers in the US and the UK — have wreaked havoc in recent years, stealing data from corporations and sometimes extorting them, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security, said in a 2023 security alert about the group.
Earlier this month, Scattered Spider was suspected to be behind a major data breach at Aflac, potentially exposing Social Security numbers, insurance claims and health information of tens of millions of customers.
The crew was also believed to be behind similar breaches at Erie Insurance and Philadelphia Insurance Companies, and was linked to hacks at Marks & Spencer and other UK retailers.
Scattered Spider drew particular notoriety in September 2023 when the group broke into and locked up the networks of casino operators Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International, and demanded hefty ransom payments.
Caesars was forced to pay about $15 million to restore its network.
Last year, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles charged five reputed members between the ages of 20 and 23 with allegedly hacking into 12 separate companies between September 2021 and April 2023.
Now, the FBI says Scattered Spider might be turning its sinister talents on the airlines.
“Once inside, Scattered Spider actors steal sensitive data for extortion and often deploy ransomware,” the agency’s alert on Friday said. “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.”
