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Delta Air Lines is investigating a cybersecurity incident after an unauthorized Wi-Fi network was detected aboard a flight from Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) on August 10th.
The unusual network appeared while Delta flight DL 591 was en route to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). As a precaution, the flight crew temporarily disabled the aircraft’s passenger Wi-Fi service for about 30 minutes while the flight continued normally. Delta emphasized that the aircraft’s operational and flight systems were never compromised and the incident had no impact on the safety of the flight. No emergency was declared and the aircraft landed as scheduled.
The airline is working with federal authorities and aviation regulators to determine who created the unauthorized network and whether it posed any risk to passengers. The incident occurred shortly after DEF CON, one of the world’s largest cybersecurity conferences, concluded in Las Vegas. While investigators are aware of the timing, there is no evidence linking the onboard network to the event or suggesting that passenger data was accessed. Cybersecurity experts have long warned about fraudulent wireless networks, often referred to as “evil twin” networks, which are designed to imitate legitimate Wi-Fi connections in an attempt to trick users into connecting.
Delta released the following statement:
Safety of flight was never in question and no aircraft operating systems were affected. We are fully investigating to gather a complete set of facts, which will take time. We will partner with federal law enforcement and aviation regulators to ensure the incident is thoroughly investigated. We thank our crew for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding.”
Anthony’s Take: Delta has not reported any evidence that passengers’ personal information was compromised and the investigation remains ongoing. It truly amazes me what hackers can do and this proves that you need to be careful on any public network.
(Featured Image Credit: Delta Air Lines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
