Boeing confirms hacker attack. The criminals boasted about it online
The aviation company Boeing has confirmed that it has become a victim of hackers. A group of criminals linked to Russia boasted about their achievement online. It’s supposed to be a ransomware attack.
Aviation giant Boeing has officially confirmed that it is struggling with a “cybersecurity incident” affecting the company’s infrastructure. Earlier, hackers from the LockBit group boasted of taking over the company’s systems.
Boeing a victim of Russian hackers
Boeing spokesman Jim Proulx told the media that the cybercriminals targeted “elements of the company’s parts (production) and distribution system.” – This matter does not affect flight safety. We are currently actively investigating the incident and coordinating with law enforcement and regulators. We have also notified our customers and suppliers, added a Boeing representative in a statement sent to TechCrunch journalists.
However, the company did not provide further information about the attack. It refused to confirm, among other things, whether the data was encrypted, what the information was and whether it was transferred from the company’s systems to the hackers’ servers.
Even before the announcement, a well-known aviation company appeared on the list of LockBit targets, and the group admitted to organizing the action. Hackers from a group supporting Russia specialize in ransomware attacks and since 2019, they have blocked over 1,800 systems around the world.
Is it illegal to pay ransom to hackers? The US sets limits
In a now-deleted social media post, the hackers threatened Boeing with publishing a “huge amount” of sensitive data. The first deadline for sending a ransom for information has already passed, and deletion of the entry is usually a sign of negotiations between the company and criminals or payment of part of the requested amount.
Boeing declined to answer whether the company had decided to pay a ransom to the hackers. No wonder, because this matter is questionable from a legislative point of view.
The US federal government recently imposed sanctions on hackers from the Evil Corp group. This group is widely believed to be dependent on LockBit. Paying out funds to restricted entities is prohibited by law for both US citizens and companies operating in this territory.
