AMSTERDAM- Dutch airline KLM (KL) has confirmed a cybersecurity breach linked to a third-party customer service software provider.
Passengers who contacted KLM via customer service channels may have had their personal data exposed, although sensitive information, such as credit card details and passports, remains secure.
Photo: By Martin Kulcsar – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48643753KLM Cybersecurity Breach
KLM has joined a growing list of global airlines impacted by cyberattacks targeting third-party systems.
The breach stemmed from a supplier that manages customer support software, exposing personal information of passengers who recently contacted the airline’s customer service.
According to KLM, compromised data may include passenger names, contact details, frequent flyer numbers, and subject lines of support emails.
However, the airline assures that financial information, passport numbers, and flight itineraries were not part of the breach.
The airline’s primary concern now is phishing, a cyberattack strategy in which criminals use the stolen information to send fraudulent emails posing as KLM.
These emails often attempt to trick passengers into clicking on malicious links or entering personal information on fake websites that mimic the official airline portal.
KLM issued an alert via email to affected individuals, advising: “If you receive unexpected messages or phone calls, especially asking for personal information or urging you to take action, please check their authenticity.”
Photo: By Anna Zvereva from Tallinn, Estonia – KLM, PH-BXA, Boeing 737-8K2, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66225228Avoiding Phishing Attempts
KLM has highlighted several warning signs to help passengers identify phishing scams:
- Emails without personalized greetings
- Urgent or aggressive calls to action (e.g., “click now”)
- Misspellings or grammatical errors
- Hyperlinks leading to unrecognized domains
To protect customers, KLM has published a list of verified email addresses it uses for communication.
The airline also warned that scammers often mimic official addresses by making subtle changes that are easy to overlook.
Photo: PixabayAirline Response
KLM has reported the incident to the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens), and Air France, which shares ownership with KLM, has informed France’s equivalent agency.
While the airline has declined to reveal the number of affected passengers or the exact timing of the breach, it emphasized that core operational systems remain uncompromised. Additional cybersecurity measures have already been implemented.
Reported by PYOK, the breach is part of a broader pattern. In June, Qantas (QF) confirmed a similar cyberattack through a third-party vendor, affecting the data of around six million passengers.
The FBI also recently warned that threat actors, including the ‘Scattered Spider’ group, are actively targeting aviation-related IT systems using social engineering tactics.
British Airways (BA), in response to similar threats, preemptively locked down its internal systems, temporarily restricting access for hundreds of crew members while implementing stronger security protocols.
Photo: By ltdccba – IMG_2288, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61899186Industry-Wide Cybersecurity Concerns
The KLM breach highlights the aviation industry’s vulnerability to cyberattacks through third-party service providers. These vendors, though external, often have access to customer and operational data, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals.
Airlines worldwide are being urged to re-evaluate vendor access, audit data handling practices, and improve authentication protocols across systems to reduce exposure.
KLM’s swift response and continued transparency may help rebuild customer trust, but the incident serves as another reminder of the critical importance of digital security in aviation.
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