The website of the International Air Show in Le Bourget, near Paris, France, was the subject of an “attempt to block.” For fifteen minutes on Monday, June 16th, the popular show’s website was taken completely offline by its maintenance department. A police source told reporters the SIAE website received an exceptional and abnormal number of connections, which could constitute a computer attack. An official investigation has now been opened by the French Brigade for the Fight against CyberCrime (BL2C) into this security incident. This unit is in charge of breaches of automated data processing systems and is part of the Paris Police Prefecture.
The Paris Air Show is a major bi-annual international event that was first created back in the year of 1953.
This prestigious and very well-known show brings together the military and also various top industrialists from the entire world of global aeronautics. At each edition of the show, various aircraft prototypes, many advanced munitions, and the latest new-generation drones are presented with great fanfare. This year, in particular, the major French defense manufacturer Thales has warned of a very significant increase in all cyberattacks. The company warned of a staggering 600% increase in cyberattacks in this specific sector in the space of just one year alone.
This attack occurred on the very important opening day of the show, between approximately 12:00 and 12:15 in the afternoon.
The page was proactively taken offline by the show’s own computer maintenance department to mitigate any potential further damage. The ongoing investigation will seek to determine the origin of the abnormal connection attempts and the motives behind this disruptive cyberattack. The incident highlights the significant and growing digital risks that are now facing high-profile international events and also their organizers. The prompt response by the maintenance team, however, helped to limit the overall duration of the website’s service outage.
The context for this incident is a heightened threat landscape for the entire aerospace and also the global defense industry. The warning from Thales about a 600% increase in cyberattacks underscores the seriousness of the current cybersecurity situation. The attempt to disrupt the Paris Air Show’s website serves as a real-time example of these escalating digital threats. This event will likely prompt a review of cybersecurity measures for similar large-scale international expositions and also for trade shows. The investigation’s findings will be crucial for understanding the specific threat actor tactics that were used in this particular case.
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