U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and other Democrats focused on the need to invest in information technology systems in airports and at airlines across the country to beef up cybersecurity during committee meetings on Thursday.
Cantwell, the chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, said investment into resiliency and redundancy in IT systems is needed to protect against not only cybersecurity threats, but also to safeguard passengers’ and employees’ personal data – including credit card information and frequent flyer accounts – and to ensure consumers have the tools they need to recover if they are harmed by those threats.
During a committee meeting, members heard testimony from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Aviation Managing Director Lance Lyttle about a cyberattack on his airport.
Lyttle said the Sea-Tac Airport was hit by a ransomware attack from the Rhysida Group last month, forcing the airport to shut down various computer systems, including its internal email and website. The attack affected gate display boards, ticketing systems and baggage claim processes, he said. The attack group, which Lyttle said was believed to be a Russian organization, threatened to release the personal identifiable information of airport employees if the airport didn’t pay $6 million worth of ransom in Bitcoin.
“The reality is stark: our aviation industry is under constant threat from cyberattacks, up 74 percent since 2020,” Cantwell. Every time we witness these technology failures, consumers are the ones left holding the bag.”
The committee also heard from Marty Reynolds, managing director of Airlines for America, and John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud for the National Consumers League.
“That is why we are here today – to spotlight this issue and figure out what more needs to be done, and to let the travelling public know [what] Congress and the federal government are doing to combat potential disruptions to their air travel and safety,” Cantwell said.