Impending cyber threats on the aviation industry

Impending cyber threats on the aviation industry 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has observed the cyber group Scattered Spider - linked to recent attacks on major UK retailers - is now actively targeting the aviation industry. Scattered Spider is known for its advanced social engineering tactics. They often impersonate internal employees or trusted partners to trick staff into revealing credentials, installing malware, or granting unauthorised access to systems.

To help you stay protected, here are some quick tips to share with your team:

Cyber safety tips:

Stay alert: Avoid clicking links or opening attachments from unknown sources. Always verify unexpected requests.
 
Protect credentials: Never share passwords or MFA codes without confirming the request through a separate channel.
 
Report quickly: Flag any suspicious emails or calls to your IT or security team immediately.

Important insurance information:

If you purchase cyber insurance, please ensure you’re familiar with your claims notification process. In most cases, your insurer will provide a hotline number and access to a panel of approved incident response vendors - this information should be embedded in your response plans. If you can’t locate your cyber insurance hotline number, please reach out to your usual Howden contact.

If you plan to use your own vendors during an incident, make sure your insurer has provided prior written consent. If any of your vendors are not currently approved, we recommend reaching out to your usual Howden contact to discuss next steps. 

For more guidance on managing a cyber claim, click here to read insights from our Head of Cyber Claims, Richard Walsh.

If you’d like to discuss how these threats could impact your business or explore insurance solutions to safeguard against emerging threats, please reach out to Jason Humphreys or Ben Geffen.