Ransomware Causes Airliner to Ground Flights, Leaving Customers Stranded
An airliner in India has been forced to cancel and delay flights due to a ransomware attack that's left some customers stranded at airports or even inside planes.
SpiceJet says the incident tried to encrypt the company’s IT systems. “Certain SpiceJet systems faced an attempted ransomware attack last night that has impacted our flight operations,” the company tweeted(Opens in a new window) today. “While our IT team has to a large extent contained and rectified the situation, this has had a cascading effect on our flights leading to delays.”
Customers have taken to social media to complain. In some cases, passengers have encountered flight cancellations or delays at their airports that have lasted several hours.
“SG1008 HYD is delayed by 3 hours. We have kids and elderly people stranded without water and refreshments. Do you have any work ethics?” one customer wrote(Opens in a new window) on Twitter.
Others have been left stranded inside their airplanes before take-off. “Operating normally?? We are stuck here since 3 hrs and 45 mins? Neither canceling nor operating, sitting in the flight not even the airport,” wrote(Opens in a new window) another user on Twitter.
“Worst airline in India, I will not recommend anyone to fly,” a separate customer wrote(Opens in a new window).
It’s unclear which ransomware strain infected SpiceJet’s system. But ransomware programs are usually designed to spread themselves across a company’s computers and then encrypt all the information inside.
Although SpiceJet says it mostly contained the attack, the company’s corporate website still appears to be down. On Twitter, SpiceJet added: “Some flights to airports where there are restrictions on night operations have been canceled.
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