Scattered Spider Hackers Reportedly Targeting Airline Industry

The hacking group Scattered Spider could be trying to trap airlines in its web.

The FBI is warning that it had “recently observed” cyberattacks that resemble Scattered Spider to include the air travel industry, TechCrunch reported Saturday (June 28), citing a statement from the law enforcement agency.

The report also cited recent warnings from Google’s Mandiant cybersecurity arm and Palo Alto Networks’ security research division Unit 42, both of which said they’d seen Scattered Spider cyberattacks targeting the aviation sector.

Scattered Spider, a group of younger hackers who employ tactics like social engineering, phishing and even threats of violence to access company networks.

The group is said to be behind a number of high-profile cyberattacks, such as the 2023 data breach at MGM Casinos and Resorts in Las Vegas that brought those hotels to a standstill. More recently, the group’s attack on British retailer Marks & Spencer wiped out more than $807 million of the company’s market capitalization.

Per the TechCrunch report, the FBI said the hackers could go after large corporations and their third-party IT providers, which means “anyone in the airline ecosystem, including trusted vendors and contractors, could be at risk.”

As covered here last month, a recent report by Verizon found that 30% of data breaches that occurred during the year ending Oct. 31 involved a third party, double the among from the previous year.

Writing about cybersecurity last week, PYMNTS noted that scammers had begun refining their methods, peppering their schemes with a sense of urgency.

“Texts begging for money to help stranded family members and friends are seemingly everywhere,” the report said. “Romance scams are commonplace. Nefarious players impersonate banks, the IRS and government agencies to catch victims off guard and get them to send money to ward off possible legal action or penalties.”

These psychological ploys are connected to a deliberate attempt to bypass critical thinking and trigger immediate action from unwitting victims. Meanwhile, fraudsters are joining forces to form organized networks.

Research by PYMNTS Intelligence suggests no one is immune, not even tech-savvy members of Generation Z. While 30% of consumers report being scammed, that number climbs to 40% among Gen Zers, the research showed.

In scam scenarios, “The customer is willing and wants to proceed with the payment,” Brian Boates, risk lead for Block, told PYMNTS CEO Karen Webster, adding that this makes intervention especially complex, as it requires disrupting a user’s determined intent.