Boeing has officially confirmed that it has fallen victim to a cyberattack by LockBit, following a day of speculation about a breach.
The cyberattack on Boeing, which initially caused confusion when LockBit removed Boeing from its list of victims on a dark web portal, has notably affected the company’s distribution business and global services division.
A company spokesperson has officially acknowledged a cyberattack on Boeing in response to media inquiries. They have stated that they are fully aware of the incident and its effects on “certain aspects of our parts and distribution operations.”
A comprehensive investigation is currently in progress, carried out in cooperation with multiple regulatory and law enforcement bodies, to determine the extent and consequences of the confirmed breach at Boeing.
Regarding the LockBit ransomware attack on Boeing, the spokesperson conveyed, “We are actively investigating the incident and coordinating with law enforcement and regulatory authorities. We are notifying our customers and suppliers.”
About the Cyberattack on Boeing
LockBit had publicly disclosed its most recent cyberattack victims on October 27th, with Boeing prominently featured on the list and a ransom payment deadline set for November 2.
However, at that time, Boeing had chosen not to provide any comments or statements regarding the incident, leaving the claims by the hacker collective unverified.
According to a post on LockBit’s dark web platform, a significant warning had been issued to Boeing approximately six days prior to the ransom payment deadline.
Lockbit’s warning uploaded on October 27th at around 5.30 pm UTC read, “A tremendous amount of sensitive data was exfilterated and ready to be published if Boeing do not contact within the deadline! For now we will not send lists or samples to protect the company BUT we will not keep like that until the deadline. ALL AVAILABLE DATA WILL BE PUBLISHED !”
On October 31st, LockBit removed Boeing from its dark web leak page. This action left room for speculation, suggesting two possible scenarios: either Boeing was not a victim of LockBit’s cyberattack in the first place, or LockBit may have received a ransom payment from Boeing.
However, it’s important to note that there were no formal discussions or confirmations regarding whether a ransom had been paid by Boeing.
About LockBit Ransomware Gang
LockBit initially emerged in 2019, and since its inception, it has focused its efforts on targeting thousands of organizations worldwide. Its primary targets have predominantly been companies based in the United States. LockBit is believed to have affiliations with Russian entities and has successfully extracted tens of millions of dollars in ransom payments over time.
According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), LockBit has executed at least 1700 cyberattacks on various organizations based in the United States. Their typical approach involves stealing sensitive data, which they then use as leverage for extortion purposes.
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