Japan Airlines Thwarts Cyberattack Amid Holiday Rush

Japan Airlines experienced a cyberattack on Thursday, affecting over 20 domestic flights. The airline swiftly mitigated the attack, which was intended to overwhelm their network system. Despite the disruption, flight safety remained unaffected, and no customer data leaks occurred. The incident highlights ongoing cybersecurity challenges in Japan.

Japan Airlines announced it fell victim to a cyberattack on Thursday, resulting in delays for more than 20 domestic flights. However, the airline successfully halted the attack and restored its systems within hours, assuring that flight safety was not compromised.

The cyberattack targeted JAL's internal and external network systems, aiming to overwhelm them with massive data transmissions. The attack did not involve a virus or lead to any customer data leaks. By late morning, JAL reported that 24 domestic flights had been delayed by over 30 minutes due to the incident.

The attack highlights the vulnerabilities in Japan's cybersecurity, which experts say needs enhancement despite recent improvements. This incident follows previous attacks on other sectors in Japan, including the space agency and a port terminal. While JAL's ticket sales were temporarily suspended, they resumed later in the day, alleviating concerns during the busy holiday season.

(With inputs from agencies.)