Boeing, which is a big company that deals with defense and space, has mentioned that they are looking into a cyber issue that affected some of their business operations related to parts and distribution. They are also cooperating with law enforcement to investigate this incident, According to a report.
Lockbit Cyber Threat and Boeing’s Response
This comes after a group of cybercriminals called Lockbit claimed they had taken a lot of important data from Boeing and threatened to release it online unless Boeing paid a ransom by November 2. However, as of Wednesday, the Lockbit group’s threat was not visible on their website, and they haven’t responded to requests for comments.
Boeing didn’t say if Lockbit caused the cyber problem they talked about.
A Boeing spokesperson mentioned, “This issue does not affect flight safety, We are actively investigating the incident and coordinating with law enforcement and regulatory authorities. We are notifying our customers and suppliers.”
Lockbit was the most active ransomware group in the world last year when it comes to the number of victims. According to the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Lockbit has targeted 1,700 organizations in the United States since 2020.
The hacking group usually uses ransomware to lock a company’s systems and also takes important data to pressure them.
Boeing’s Services and Worries About Hacking
Boeing’s parts and distribution business, which is part of its Global Services division, offers material and logistical help to its customers, as mentioned in the company’s 2022 annual report. The report says that ‘Global Services ensures (customers) have access to the world’s most robust supply chain and the flexibility, scale and purchasing power to operate efficiently.”
We’re not sure about the specific data Lockbit might have taken from the company. According to Brett Callow, who is an expert on ransomware and works as a threat analyst at the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft, even if organizations pay ransom to cybercriminal groups, it doesn’t guarantee that the data won’t be leaked.
Callow explained that “Paying the ransom would simply elicit a pinky promise from LockBit that they will destroy whatever data they obtained, There would, however, be no way of knowing for sure that they actually had.”
Losing military-related information would be “extremely problematic”, he added.
Conclusion
Boeing is investigating a cyber incident linked to the Lockbit threat, a cybercriminal group. Lockbit demanded a ransom, but its current status remains unclear. Boeing assures that the issue doesn’t affect flight safety, but concerns persist about the potential data breach. The situation underscores the ongoing challenge of cybersecurity threats in the defense and space industry.
