Russia's largest airline hit by cyberattack, over 60 flights canceled
What's the story
Russia's largest airline, Aeroflot, has canceled more than 60 flights after a major cyberattack. The attack was claimed by a pro-Ukrainian hacker group called Silent Crow. They said they carried out the operation in collaboration with Belarusian hackers, citing Russia's actions in Ukraine as the reason. The incident prompted Russian prosecutors to confirm that the airline's issues were due to hacking and launch a criminal investigation into the matter.
System breach
Hackers claim to have accessed Aeroflot's critical systems
In a Telegram post, Silent Crow claimed to have gained access to Aeroflot's critical systems and terabytes of internal data. The group said it "destroyed" the airline's systems that it had access to. Screenshots shared by the hackers allegedly show access to several Aeroflot systems, including its internal active directory of users.
Operational impact
Website shows error message
The cyberattack has also affected Aeroflot's website, which is currently showing an error message saying it has been "temporarily restricted." Footage from a Russian airport showed departure screens displaying canceled flights across the board. Russian prosecutors have confirmed that over 60 flights have been canceled due to this incident.
Security concerns
Kremlin expresses concern
The Kremlin has expressed concern over the hacker threat, calling it "quite alarming." Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, said that this is a danger that continues to exist for all major companies providing services to the public. He also added that they would clarify this information and await appropriate clarifications on the matter.
Data breach
Hackers threaten to leak personal data of all Russians
Silent Crow has threatened to leak "the personal data of all Russians who have ever flown Aeroflot." The group claimed the attack was the result of a year-long operation that had deeply penetrated Aeroflot's network. They also claimed it destroyed 7,000 servers and gained control over the personal computers of employees including senior managers.