Hacker group targeting US airlines, FBI says

(CNN) - The FBI is warning a notorious cybercriminal group is now targeting airlines in the United States.

In a Friday statement, the FBI said the network called “Scattered Spider” was behind hacks of multiple airlines in the U.S. and Canada in June. The group is known for their aggressive efforts to extort or embarrass their victims.

The FBI says once the group is inside a victim’s network, they proceed to steal sensitive data and will often deploy ransomware. The agency is warning that everyone inside the affected airlines’ systems, including vendors and contractors, could be at risk.

While the hacking has not affected airline safety, the FBI says it is working with aviation partners to address the activity and assist victims.

Hawaiian Airlines and Canada’s WestJet both confirmed they were recently victims of cyberattacks, but they did not name the perpetrators.

The Scattered Spider group has previously been linked to cyberattacks affecting companies in the insurance and retail sectors.