Spicejet thwarts attempted ransomware attack

Indian low-cost airline SpiceJet Ltd. was forced to cancel flights on Wednesday, May 24, 2022, following a ransomware attack.

SpiceJet officially describes it as an “attempted ransomware attack,” but you don’t delay and cancel flights as it did today just because of an “attempted” attack. In a statement, the airline said that “certain of our systems faced an attempted ransomware attack last night that impacted our flight operations.”

The airline claims that its information technology team has contained the “attempted” attack and has “rectified the situation.” If it were attempted, there would be nothing to rectify, so the ransomware clearly got into some of its systems.

What form the ransomware attack was involved is not known. SpiceJet is primarily a domestic low-cost airline, but before the COVID pandemic, it flew to some international destinations, such as Thailand.

Although SpiceJet was able to contain the recent ransomware attack, the airline is still suffering from flight delays, unavailable booking systems, and no way for customers to contact customer service. As evidenced by this and many other recent ransomware attacks, it’s no longer an issue of just whether to pay the ransom. it is likely that the organization will suffer reputational damage, legal consequences, and loss of data and business.