Ethical Hacking News
Aloha Airlines Discloses Cybersecurity Incident as Scattered Spider Gang Targets Retailers and Insurance Companies
Hawaiian Airlines disclosed a cybersecurity incident affecting some of its IT systems. The airline stated it had taken steps to safeguard operations and systems, with no impact on safety. The attack bears hallmarks of the Scattered Spider gang, known for targeting retailers and insurance companies. The FAA confirmed that there has been no impact on safety and the airline continues to operate safely. The incident highlights the growing threat of cyberattacks across various sectors, including aviation.
Hawaiian Airlines has disclosed a "cybersecurity incident" that affected some of its IT systems, but assured customers and stakeholders that flights are operating as scheduled. The airline's parent company, Alaska Air Group, was informed of the compromise on June 23, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) made on June 27.
In its filing, Hawaiian Airlines stated that it had "immediately taken steps to safeguard" its operations and systems following the discovery of the cybersecurity incident. The airline emphasized that there has been no impact on safety, and that it continues to operate safely despite the compromise.
According to a report by Charles Carmakal, the CTO of Google's Mandiant Consulting security research arm, the attack bears hallmarks of the Scattered Spider gang, which earlier this year targeted retailers such as Marks & Spencer before moving on to insurance companies. Carmakal stated that the actor's core tactics, techniques, and procedures have remained consistent, and that organizations can take proactive steps to harden systems by training their help desk staff to enforce robust identity verification processes and deploying phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA).
The Scattered Spider gang is a notorious group of hackers known for its brazen attacks on companies in the retail and insurance sectors. The gang's modus operandi typically involves using advanced techniques such as zero-day exploits and social engineering tactics to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.
In this latest incident, Hawaiian Airlines did not specify whether customer or employee data was stolen during the cyberattack, nor whether the perpetrators deployed ransomware. However, the airline emphasized that it has engaged the relevant authorities and experts to assist in its investigation and ongoing remediation efforts.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also confirmed that its safety office responsible for airline oversight remains in contact with Hawaiian Airlines. "There has been no impact on safety, and the airline continues to operate safely," an FAA spokesperson stated.
This incident highlights the growing threat of cyberattacks on organizations across various sectors, including aviation. As Carmakal noted, the Scattered Spider gang's consistent tactics and techniques suggest that organizations can take proactive steps to mitigate these threats by implementing robust security measures.
In recent months, several other companies have been targeted by the Scattered Spider gang, including Canadian airline WestJet, which disclosed a similar cybersecurity incident on June 13. The gang's latest target appears to be insurance companies, following its earlier attacks on retailers and other organizations.
The incident also raises questions about the effectiveness of current security measures in preventing such breaches. As Carmakal noted, organizations can take steps to harden their systems by implementing robust identity verification processes and deploying phishing-resistant MFA. However, it remains to be seen whether these measures will be sufficient to prevent future attacks by sophisticated groups like Scattered Spider.
In any case, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat of cyberattacks to organizations across various sectors. As the use of technology continues to grow and evolve, so too must our defenses against these threats. By taking proactive steps to implement robust security measures, we can reduce the risk of such breaches and ensure that our systems remain secure.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Aloha-Youve-Been-Pwned-Hawaiian-Airlines-Discloses-Cybersecurity-Incident-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/06/27/aloha_youve_been_pwned_hawaiian/
Published: Fri Jun 27 13:55:07 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
