Canadian Airports Hit by DDoS Attack, Slowing Down Check-In

Several Canadian airports reported connectivity issues that led to delays in a number of services. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) confirmed that a DDoS attack caused the connectivity issues.

Hackers and other groups that use DDoS attacks against key infrastructure targets are not new. In fact, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, more and more DDoS attacks have made the front page, primarily because they target airports, government websites, and businesses.

What makes this attack different from the rest is that it actually had an impact. Most DDoS incidents have the same result as the online resource targeted becomes unresponsive. A website people can't access is an annoyance, but it doesn't really affect the rest of the infrastructure.

According to a La Presse report, the Montreal-Trudeau International Airport and a few others reported an outage of check-in kiosks, slowing down arrival processing. In this case, a DDoS attack actually had an effect in the real world, albeit a small one.

"We are working closely with our partners to assess the situation and investigate. The security of Canadians and travelers is the top priority for CBSA, and no personal information has been disclosed as a result of these attacks," said Maria Ladouceur, a spokesperson for CBSA.

The group that claimed responsibility on its Telegram channel is called NoName057, and it's not the first time it made its presence announced in Canada. It also claimed to have attacked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's website in April, along with a number of other online resources.

If the DDoS attacks in Europe and the United States are any indication, this is picking up. Fortunately, DDoS incidents also have a way of revealing vulnerable spots, so authorities now know that some parts of the infrastructure need to be strengthened.