Aviation Agency Investigates Data Breach | Hacker Claims Theft

ICAO Investigates Potential Cybersecurity Breach

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations body responsible for establishing global standards for civil aviation operations, has acknowledged an ongoing investigation into a possible cybersecurity incident.

Details of the Reported Incident

ICAO released a statement on Monday confirming it is actively looking into reports concerning a potential information security breach. The incident is believed to be connected to a threat actor known to target international organizations.

The investigation was prompted by claims made on January 5th within a well-known online hacking forum. An individual asserted they had gained access to approximately 42,000 documents originating from ICAO.

Data Potentially Compromised

A sample of the data purportedly stolen and shared on the forum, reviewed by TechCrunch, reveals a range of sensitive personal details.

• Full names were included in the leaked data.
• Dates of birth were also reportedly compromised.
• Home and email addresses were present.
• Phone numbers were exposed.
• Information regarding educational backgrounds and employment histories was also part of the leak.

Some of the records appear to contain information pertaining to personnel employed by ICAO.

ICAO’s Response

TechCrunch reached out to ICAO for further comment, but the organization declined to provide any information beyond the initial statement released to the public.

The organization is currently working to determine the full scope of the potential breach and to mitigate any risks associated with the compromised data.