Aviation Industry’s New Target — The Threat of the Scattered Spider Group

You might not expect it, but aviation security is facing a new and sophisticated threat: Scattered Spider, a consolidated hacking group previously known for attacking casinos and retail, has now set its sights on the aviation industry. The FBI has issued an official warning, underscoring the seriousness of the situation. With social engineering at help desks and the bypassing of multi-factor authentication (MFA), these strategies are creating urgent challenges for cybersecurity experts.

FBI Warning and New Targets

The FBI and leading firms like Google Mandiant and Palo Alto Networks Unit 42 confirm that the Scattered Spider group has targeted the aviation sector. Their approach uses social engineering — posing as employees or trusted contacts to trick help desk agents and register new MFA devices. This can lead to unauthorized access, data theft, and even ransomware attacks on critical aviation systems.

Is the Threat Real?

Both WestJet and Hawaiian Airlines have recently acknowledged IT system disruptions in June. While these incidents weren’t directly linked to Scattered Spider, they matched the group’s signature techniques — MFA bypass and help desk fraud. Mandiant’s threat team has reported similar operations under the alias “UNC3944,” another name for Scattered Spider.

How Should the Industry Respond?

Experts recommend the following actions for aviation and transport sectors:

• Enhanced help desk protocols — restrict automatic MFA verification and introduce stricter secondary checks;
• Employee training — increase awareness about social engineering and improve identification of suspicious requests;
• Rigorous monitoring — detect abnormal MFA changes and identity requests quickly;
• Layered defense — develop both technological and organizational defenses to prevent easy system access for attackers.

Conclusion

Scattered Spider’s targets have expanded — from casinos and retail to the aviation and transport sectors. Now, not just flight safety but also passengers’ personal data are at risk. Recent industry incidents show it’s time for aviation to set new and strengthened security standards.

📌 What do you think — is aviation truly prepared for attacks like Scattered Spider’s social engineering? Share your thoughts in the comments!

✍ Thornike • July 30, 2025