Boeing has confirmed a “cyber incident” in its parts and distributions business days after a ransomware group published threats against the company.
The acknowledgment came after LockBit hackers said on Friday they had tapped “a tremendous amount” of classified data from Boeing that would be leaked online if the company does not transfer payment by November 2.
The statement was reportedly erased from the hacking website Wednesday morning, an update from Reuters said.
Boeing has not disclosed any connections between the assault on its business website and LockBit’s publicized threat.
The company has also refrained from comment regarding the disruption’s impact on its defense-related data.
“This issue does not affect flight safety,” a company spokesperson told the media outlet.
“We are actively investigating the incident and coordinating with law enforcement and regulatory authorities. We are notifying our customers and suppliers.”
Flights Safe: Boeing
Boeing’s parts and distribution operates under its Global Services division and focuses on logistical and material support for customers.
As of Wednesday, several pages across the firm’s portal remained down and contained a posted message explaining the situation.
“We are aware of the technical issue impacting the availability of the services.boeing.com website,” the notice said.
“The incident does not affect the safety of flight. We expect the site to be back up soon.”
LockBit Ransomware Group
LockBit’s standard method involves the integration of software into an infrastructure to obtain access to sensitive information and threaten to release it in exchange for cash.
According to a US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency advisory, LockBit was among the most active ransomware groups in 2022.
Since 2020, the group has attacked approximately 1,700 organizations in the US. Alongside North America, LockBit’s latest assaults were recorded in New Zealand and Australia.