Reuters
James Pearson
22 September 2025
Cybercriminals are taking greater risks by hitting high-profile targets to get bigger payoffs and boost their online reputational clout, cybersecurity experts said, after a weekend hack crippled airport check-in systems across Europe and stranded thousands of passengers.
The European Union's cybersecurity agency ENISA confirmed on Monday that the hack on Collins Aerospace, owned by RTX (RTX.N), opens new tab, was a ransomware attack, but did not say where the attack originated from. The outage, which hit check-in and baggage drop services, has affected dozens of flights since Friday.
It was not clear which group was behind the hack. Ransomware gangs routinely publicise attacks and leak stolen data on dark web “leak sites,” but websites that monitor those portals had not, as of Monday, detected any group claiming Collins Aerospace, or RTX, as a target.
Ransomware is malicious software used by cybercriminals to encrypt a company’s data and demand payment for its release. They typically operate in the shadows, and many try to avoid targets which might earn them unwanted attention from law enforcement agencies.
Other groups, however, are becoming more brazen in the kind of targets they choose, cybersecurity experts said.
