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CNA Explains: Your flight booking details have been leaked. What can hackers do with them?
A data breach at Amadeus, a software provider used by Singapore Airlines (SIA), exposed about 46,000 booking records. Cybersecurity experts say the details could help criminals create convincing scams by referring to passengersā real flights, making messages seem trustworthy.
The exposed records included names, booking references, travel itineraries and booking classes. About 620 records may also have contained email addresses, phone numbers, travel document details and KrisFlyer membership numbers. Depending on airline security checks, criminals could also try to access or alter reservations, target frequent-flyer accounts, or combine the data with information from other breaches.
In short
- About 46,000 SIA booking records were accessed.
- Scammers could use real travel details to impersonate airlines.
- Some records may have included contact and travel document details.
Explained simply
Airlines use booking systems to store details such as passengersā names, flight times and booking references. Amadeus is a technology provider whose software is used by Singapore Airlines, so a breach of its records can involve information linked to airline bookings.
A booking reference is a code used to find a reservation, while a frequent-flyer number identifies a member of an airline loyalty scheme. If criminals know real travel details, they may use them to make emails or calls seem genuine, or try to access bookings or loyalty accounts; what they can do depends on the airlineās security checks.
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