A powerful cyber attack by pro-Ukrainian hackers has forced Russia’s national airline, Aeroflot, to cancel numerous flights and disrupted services at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. Aeroflot announced the cancellation of 40 flights on July 28 due to a major issue with the airline’s IT system. Additionally, 10 flights were significantly delayed and unable to depart on schedule. The airline stated that they are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. They also mentioned that they are providing refunds to passengers and rearranging flights. The airline did not specify how long it would take to resolve the problem.
Hacker groups known as Silent Crow and Belarusian Cyber-Partisans have claimed responsibility for the cyber attack on the airline. In a statement released by Silent Crow, the group said they had been launching attacks and infiltrating Aeroflot’s IT system for about a year. The statement claimed that they had rendered 7,000 of the airline’s servers unusable and established access points to the airline’s internal networks. They also stated that they could access passenger information and important operational data of the airline. The hackers threatened to leak information on all passengers who have traveled with Aeroflot. The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has confirmed that the issues with Aeroflot’s IT system were caused by a hacker attack. A criminal investigation into the matter has now been initiated.
Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Russian Presidential Palace, described the situation as very concerning and highlighted the threat of cyber attacks to various sectors in Russia. He characterized the hacker threat as a danger to all major companies providing services to the population. Members of the Russian Parliament have also warned that in addition to military attacks, cyber attacks are also being targeted at the country during this time of war between Russia and Ukraine. Some parliament members have called for not only finding those responsible for the cyber attack but also taking action against those whose negligence may have facilitated such an attack.
Silent Crow has previously launched powerful cyber attacks targeting Russia. The group has claimed responsibility for cyber attacks on a Russian real estate database, a telecommunications company, a major insurance company, the IT department of the Moscow government, and the Russian office of KIA, a South Korean car manufacturer. These attacks resulted in the leakage of a large amount of sensitive information.
