The Silent Crow hacker group claims responsibility for the attack, impacting flight operations and threatening to leak sensitive passenger data.
**Pro-Ukrainian Hackers Target Aeroflot in Major Cyber Assault**
**Pro-Ukrainian Hackers Target Aeroflot in Major Cyber Assault**
A coordinated cyber-attack disrupts Russia’s national airline, Aeroflot, leading to widespread flight cancellations and delays.
In a significant escalation of digital warfare, Aeroflot, Russia's national airline, announced the cancellation of over 40 flights following a cyber-attack attributed to the pro-Ukrainian hacker group Silent Crow. Collaborating with the Belarusian collective known as Cyberpartisans, Silent Crow declared on Telegram that their cyber-operation had "completely destroyed" the airline's IT systems, resulting in both widespread delays and operational failures.
The cancellations affected numerous flights mainly within Russia, as well as some routes to Belarus and Armenia. The Kremlin expressed concern over the situation, referring to it as "worrying." The hackers didn’t stop there; they threatened to leak "the personal data of all Russians who have ever flown Aeroflot," culminating their message with patriotic calls to Ukraine and Belarus.
In the wake of the allegations, Russian MP Anton Gorelkin emphasized the multifaceted nature of warfare today, mentioning that it extends into the digital landscape. Although hackers often amplify their accomplishments, the Russian prosecutor's office did acknowledge a system failure linked to a hacker attack, prompting a criminal investigation into the incident.
Passengers impacted by the cancellations may be transferred to flights operated by alternative carriers according to the transport ministry. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces in February 2022, both pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian hacker groups have been actively engaged in cyber warfare, frequently claiming responsibility for various attacks.
However, it remains a challenge to ascertain the veracity of these claims, as many of these hacker groups tend to exaggerate their achievements to achieve media coverage and undermine enemy morale. Notably, Silent Crow has allied itself with Cyberpartisans, a group committed to the fight against what they term "dictatorial rule" in Belarus, launching cyber strikes on numerous Russian targets since 2022.
This attack marks a rare occasion where a cyber operation has led to immediate and visible disruptions for a major Russian corporation, directly impacting thousands of civilians. During earlier incidents this summer, drone attacks had already resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of flights across Moscow's airports, showcasing the ongoing turmoil travelers face amidst the ongoing conflict.
The cancellations affected numerous flights mainly within Russia, as well as some routes to Belarus and Armenia. The Kremlin expressed concern over the situation, referring to it as "worrying." The hackers didn’t stop there; they threatened to leak "the personal data of all Russians who have ever flown Aeroflot," culminating their message with patriotic calls to Ukraine and Belarus.
In the wake of the allegations, Russian MP Anton Gorelkin emphasized the multifaceted nature of warfare today, mentioning that it extends into the digital landscape. Although hackers often amplify their accomplishments, the Russian prosecutor's office did acknowledge a system failure linked to a hacker attack, prompting a criminal investigation into the incident.
Passengers impacted by the cancellations may be transferred to flights operated by alternative carriers according to the transport ministry. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces in February 2022, both pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian hacker groups have been actively engaged in cyber warfare, frequently claiming responsibility for various attacks.
However, it remains a challenge to ascertain the veracity of these claims, as many of these hacker groups tend to exaggerate their achievements to achieve media coverage and undermine enemy morale. Notably, Silent Crow has allied itself with Cyberpartisans, a group committed to the fight against what they term "dictatorial rule" in Belarus, launching cyber strikes on numerous Russian targets since 2022.
This attack marks a rare occasion where a cyber operation has led to immediate and visible disruptions for a major Russian corporation, directly impacting thousands of civilians. During earlier incidents this summer, drone attacks had already resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of flights across Moscow's airports, showcasing the ongoing turmoil travelers face amidst the ongoing conflict.
