Japan Airlines Restores Operations Following Cyber Incident

Tokyo, Dec 26 (NationPress) Japan Airlines (JAL) reported on Thursday that its network system has been fully restored following a cyber incident that disrupted luggage services and resulted in flight delays earlier that day.

JAL confirmed that ticket sales for both domestic and international flights have resumed after a brief pause, emphasizing that no personal data was compromised and that there was no damage from computer viruses.

The disruption started at 7:24 a.m. local time, leading to issues with baggage check-ins and delays affecting multiple flights across various Japanese airports, according to the airline.

At 8:56 a.m. local time, JAL took action to block the data transmission device responsible for the system malfunction, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

According to investigative sources, JAL informed the authorities that it might have been targeted by a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, which floods networks with overwhelming amounts of data from numerous sources in a short timespan.

The airline stated that it was actively working to mitigate the effects of the cyberattack and investigate its origins.

Earlier that day, passengers at Tokyo's Haneda airport were seen checking their phones and interacting with staff, while Narita airport in Chiba Prefecture reported no major disruptions. A traveler in his 30s, flying from Haneda to Ishigaki Island in Okinawa, expressed his concerns, stating, "I was able to check in fine, but it's worrying that there's trouble."

Another passenger in his 60s, on his way to Matsuyama in Ehime Prefecture, remarked, "It's a nuisance during the busy year-end period."

A cyberattack occurs when there is unauthorized interference with computer infrastructure that jeopardizes the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of its data.

The growing reliance on increasingly complex and interconnected computer systems in various aspects of life significantly contributes to vulnerability against cyberattacks, as virtually all systems contain exploitable bugs.

While achieving a completely secure system may be impractical, there are numerous defenses that can enhance a system's resilience to attacks, highlighting the rapidly growing importance of information security in today's world.