The Russian Aeroflot had to cancel more than 50 flights following a successful cyberattack, during which, according to the hackers, a significant amount of customer data was stolen.
Pro-Ukrainian hackers have dealt a major blow to air traffic in Russia. More than 50 flights were reportedly canceled yesterday after the national airline Aeroflot was hacked. The Kremlin calls the situation alarming.
Ukraine and Belarus
The attack was carried out by two groups: Silent Crow, which supports Ukraine, and the so-called Belarusian Cyber Partisans who fight against the dictatorship of Russian puppet Lukashenko. “Long live Ukraine, Long live Belarus,” they stated.
The attackers claim they have been present in Aeroflot’s network for a year. They allegedly destroyed 7,000 servers and workstations and gained control over employees’ computers, including management.
Furthermore, the hackers claim to have stolen personal data of all Russians who have ever flown with Aeroflot. Internal communications of Aeroflot are also said to be part of the loot.
Russians themselves react angrily and frustrated to the disruptions, reports Reuters. Government officials speak of a digital war. In true Russian style, a manhunt immediately begins, not only for the hackers but also for internal officials responsible for the inadequate security.
Windows XP
The CEO is said to have used the same password since 2022, which is not a problem in principle as long as it is a unique one. The Moscow Times further reports that critical systems were still running on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
Both operating systems have not been supported for more than a decade and should have been upgraded long before the invasion of Ukraine cut Russia off from Western technology and subsequent sanctions.
Those responsible would do well to avoid buildings with multiple floors and easily opened windows. Meanwhile, Aeroflot is working on restoring services.