Japan Airlines (JAL), the country's second-largest carrier, reported a cyberattack on Thursday that disrupted operations and delayed multiple domestic and international flights.
The attack affected JAL’s baggage check-in system, causing delays for more than a dozen flights at various Japanese airports. Despite these setbacks, the airline managed to avoid mass cancellations or significant disruption, according to NHK, Japan's public broadcaster.
JAL promptly identified the source of the problem and implemented measures to address it. “We identified and addressed the cause of the issue. We are checking the system recovery status,” the airline stated on its social media platform X. Additionally, ticket sales for flights scheduled to depart the same day were temporarily suspended.
The cyberattack began at 7:24 a.m. local time (2224 GMT Wednesday) and was traced to a malfunctioning router, which was isolated by 8:56 a.m., JAL said in a statement.
Following the announcement, JAL’s stock fell by as much as 2.5% during morning trading but later recovered slightly.
The incident underscores the growing threat of cyberattacks targeting Japanese entities. In recent years, high-profile organizations in Japan have faced similar challenges:
2023: The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) reported an attempted cyberattack, though no sensitive information was compromised.
Nagoya Port, one of the country’s busiest, was temporarily shut down by a ransomware attack linked to Russia-based Lockbit.
Japan’s National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC) was reportedly breached for nine months.
2022: A cyberattack forced Toyota to halt domestic production for a day after disrupting operations at a key supplier.
Japan Airlines’ swift response and containment of the incident highlight the importance of robust cybersecurity measures, especially as cyber threats against critical infrastructure and services continue to escalate globally.
Comments