WestJet Airlines Confirms Data Breach Affecting 1.2 Million
WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, has confirmed that a cyberattack earlier this year led to the theft of personal data belonging to 1.2 million passengers. The breach, disclosed in a filing with the Maine attorney general, also affected 240 residents of that state. According to the notice, the stolen data includes names, dates of birth, postal addresses, travel documents (such as passports and government-issued IDs), and potentially sensitive customer accommodations, including specific requests and complaints.
Additionally, WestJet reported that information from customer rewards accounts may have been compromised. This includes points balances and other account-related data. The breach was originally acknowledged in June, when the airline detected unauthorized access to its systems and confirmed that hackers had exfiltrated data from its network.
Though the company has remained tight-lipped on details - declining to respond to media inquiries - reports have linked the incident to Scattered Spider, a hacking group known for social engineering tactics like impersonating employees to gain access. The group has previously been associated with attacks on major companies, including Qantas, from which data on over 6 million customers was allegedly stolen. U.S. authorities have warned that the transportation and aviation sectors are active targets for these kinds of cyber threats.
This breach underscores the urgent need for next-generation cybersecurity monitoring capable of providing deep visibility into all layers of the digital environment, especially in critical industries like aviation. Attacks like this often bypass traditional defenses through sophisticated social engineering and lateral movement within networks. To stay ahead, organizations must implement security platforms like NIKSUN that deliver comprehensive monitoring from Layer 2 to Layer 7 of the network stack, as well as across endpoints, applications, identity systems, and cloud infrastructure. Full-spectrum visibility - combined with real-time analytics and automated threat detection - is essential for identifying intrusions early, stopping data exfiltration, and safeguarding customer trust in a hyper-connected world. Read more about this story on our LinkedIn page
Additionally, WestJet reported that information from customer rewards accounts may have been compromised. This includes points balances and other account-related data. The breach was originally acknowledged in June, when the airline detected unauthorized access to its systems and confirmed that hackers had exfiltrated data from its network.
Though the company has remained tight-lipped on details - declining to respond to media inquiries - reports have linked the incident to Scattered Spider, a hacking group known for social engineering tactics like impersonating employees to gain access. The group has previously been associated with attacks on major companies, including Qantas, from which data on over 6 million customers was allegedly stolen. U.S. authorities have warned that the transportation and aviation sectors are active targets for these kinds of cyber threats.
This breach underscores the urgent need for next-generation cybersecurity monitoring capable of providing deep visibility into all layers of the digital environment, especially in critical industries like aviation. Attacks like this often bypass traditional defenses through sophisticated social engineering and lateral movement within networks. To stay ahead, organizations must implement security platforms like NIKSUN that deliver comprehensive monitoring from Layer 2 to Layer 7 of the network stack, as well as across endpoints, applications, identity systems, and cloud infrastructure. Full-spectrum visibility - combined with real-time analytics and automated threat detection - is essential for identifying intrusions early, stopping data exfiltration, and safeguarding customer trust in a hyper-connected world. Read more about this story on our LinkedIn page