Airline IT provider hacked, frequent flyer data breached

A company that manages ticket-processing and frequent flier data for major global airlines has exposed the personal data of an unspecified number of travelers

Cybersecurity-Airline IT Breach (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The hack of a company that manages ticket-processing and frequent-flier data for major global airlines — including Star Alliance and OneWorld members — has compromised the personal data of an unspecified number of travelers.

The hackers were able to access some computer systems at Atlanta-based SITA Passenger Service System for up to a month before the incident's seriousness was confirmed on Feb. 24, a spokesman for the company's Geneva-based parent company said.

The spokesman, Sandro Hofer, would not say how many airlines were affected — SITA says it serves more than 400 and is industry-owned. The company said that Singapore Airlines, New Zealand Air and Lufthansa were among those affected.

“The extent to which (frequent flyer alliances') individual airlines were affected varies from airline to airline,” SITA said in a statement.

It said Malaysia Airlines Finnair, Japan Airlines Cathay Pacific had either issued statements or reached out to frequent-flyer members about the hack.

United Airlines said separately that the only customer data potentially accessed were names, frequent-flyer numbers and program status. It recommended in an email that frequent-flyer customers should change their account passwords “out of an abundance of caution.”

SITA provides IT services for the airline industry, including passenger travel planning and booking, airport operations and security, baggage, aircraft connectivity and in-flight cabin and cockpit operations. It first announced the breach on Thursday.