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What happened in the Air India data breach?

What happened in the Air India data breach?

Twingate Team

May 24, 2024

In May 2021, Air India experienced a significant data breach affecting millions of passengers. The breach involved unauthorized access to the airline's database, which contained a wide range of personal information collected from customers. The compromised data spanned a period from August 2011 to February 2021. The incident highlights the importance of robust cybersecurity measures for businesses in protecting sensitive customer information.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 4.5 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included names, dates of birth, contact details, passport information, and Social Security Numbers of affected passengers.

How was Air India hacked?

The Air India data breach occurred when cyber attackers targeted the airline's passenger service system, managed by Swiss technology company SITA. The breach affected data collected between August 2011 and February 2021, with the attackers gaining access to the system for 22 days. Specific methods used by the hackers have not been disclosed, but the incident underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive customer information.

Air India's solution

In response to the hacking incident, Air India took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future breaches. These actions included securing the compromised servers, engaging external data security specialists, and notifying affected customers. Although passwords were not accessed by the hackers, Air India encouraged passengers to change their passwords as a precaution. Additionally, the airline strengthened cybersecurity protocols, implemented regular employee training, improved data protection measures, conducted a thorough review of third-party vendors, and formulated an effective incident response plan to mitigate the damage from potential cyberattacks in the future.

How do I know if I was affected?

Air India notified customers believed to be affected by the breach. If you're an Air India customer and haven't received a notification, you may visit HaveIBeenPwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  1. Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  2. Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account and consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

For more specific help and instructions related to Air India's data breach, please contact Air India's support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

For more information on the Air India data breach, check out the following news articles:

Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.

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What happened in the Air India data breach?

What happened in the Air India data breach?

Twingate Team

May 24, 2024

In May 2021, Air India experienced a significant data breach affecting millions of passengers. The breach involved unauthorized access to the airline's database, which contained a wide range of personal information collected from customers. The compromised data spanned a period from August 2011 to February 2021. The incident highlights the importance of robust cybersecurity measures for businesses in protecting sensitive customer information.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 4.5 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included names, dates of birth, contact details, passport information, and Social Security Numbers of affected passengers.

How was Air India hacked?

The Air India data breach occurred when cyber attackers targeted the airline's passenger service system, managed by Swiss technology company SITA. The breach affected data collected between August 2011 and February 2021, with the attackers gaining access to the system for 22 days. Specific methods used by the hackers have not been disclosed, but the incident underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive customer information.

Air India's solution

In response to the hacking incident, Air India took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future breaches. These actions included securing the compromised servers, engaging external data security specialists, and notifying affected customers. Although passwords were not accessed by the hackers, Air India encouraged passengers to change their passwords as a precaution. Additionally, the airline strengthened cybersecurity protocols, implemented regular employee training, improved data protection measures, conducted a thorough review of third-party vendors, and formulated an effective incident response plan to mitigate the damage from potential cyberattacks in the future.

How do I know if I was affected?

Air India notified customers believed to be affected by the breach. If you're an Air India customer and haven't received a notification, you may visit HaveIBeenPwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  1. Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  2. Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account and consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

For more specific help and instructions related to Air India's data breach, please contact Air India's support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

For more information on the Air India data breach, check out the following news articles:

Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.

What happened in the Air India data breach?

Twingate Team

May 24, 2024

In May 2021, Air India experienced a significant data breach affecting millions of passengers. The breach involved unauthorized access to the airline's database, which contained a wide range of personal information collected from customers. The compromised data spanned a period from August 2011 to February 2021. The incident highlights the importance of robust cybersecurity measures for businesses in protecting sensitive customer information.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 4.5 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included names, dates of birth, contact details, passport information, and Social Security Numbers of affected passengers.

How was Air India hacked?

The Air India data breach occurred when cyber attackers targeted the airline's passenger service system, managed by Swiss technology company SITA. The breach affected data collected between August 2011 and February 2021, with the attackers gaining access to the system for 22 days. Specific methods used by the hackers have not been disclosed, but the incident underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive customer information.

Air India's solution

In response to the hacking incident, Air India took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future breaches. These actions included securing the compromised servers, engaging external data security specialists, and notifying affected customers. Although passwords were not accessed by the hackers, Air India encouraged passengers to change their passwords as a precaution. Additionally, the airline strengthened cybersecurity protocols, implemented regular employee training, improved data protection measures, conducted a thorough review of third-party vendors, and formulated an effective incident response plan to mitigate the damage from potential cyberattacks in the future.

How do I know if I was affected?

Air India notified customers believed to be affected by the breach. If you're an Air India customer and haven't received a notification, you may visit HaveIBeenPwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  1. Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  2. Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account and consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

For more specific help and instructions related to Air India's data breach, please contact Air India's support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

For more information on the Air India data breach, check out the following news articles: