The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) confirmed a data breach affecting its recruitment systems. The breach involved the compromise of approximately 42,000 records, dating from April 2016 to July 2024. The stolen data includes personal details such as names, email addresses, dates of birth, and employment history of individuals who applied for positions through ICAO’s recruitment portal. However, the agency clarified that no financial information, passwords, passport details, or documents uploaded by applicants were accessed in the breach.
ICAO was initially alerted to the breach after a cybercriminal, known by the handle “Natohub,” offered the stolen records for sale on a hacking forum. The hacker, who registered the Natohub account six months ago on BreachForums 2, a successor to a seized site, had previously claimed to have stolen data from other high-profile sources, including the United Nations. ICAO’s immediate investigation confirmed that the compromised data was linked to the recruitment application process.
Despite the serious nature of the breach, ICAO emphasized that the compromised recruitment system did not include any systems related to aviation safety or security operations. The organization clarified that no critical systems were impacted and the breach was confined to recruitment-related data. Following the breach, ICAO implemented additional security measures to prevent further unauthorized access and initiated an ongoing investigation to determine the full extent of the damage.
ICAO is actively working to identify and notify the individuals whose data was affected by the breach. The organization has expressed its commitment to the protection of personal data and continues to treat the privacy and security of individuals’ information with the utmost importance. Further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses, with ICAO ensuring that affected individuals will be promptly informed.
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