El July 28, 2025, Russia experienced one of the worst digital crises in recent years: a cyberattack aimed at Aeroflot — allegedly operated by pro-Ukrainian groups — which paralyzed hundreds of flights and compromised critical passenger and employee information. This attack underscores the growing threat of cyberwar that transcends traditional battlegrounds.
What happened in the Aeroflot attack?
Immediate operational impact
- Aeroflot canceled more than 100 flights between Monday and Tuesday, July 28—29, affecting domestic and international routes (including Armenia, Belarus and Uzbekistan).
- Sheremetyevo airport showed images of stranded passengers and long lines, with inoperative digital systems.
Managers and modus operandi
- The groups Silent Crow (Ukrainian) and Belarus Cyber-Partisans they took up the attack, claiming to have compromised Aeroflot during A year, stealing sensitive data and destroying 7,000 servers.
- Russian authorities confirmed the attack and launched a criminal investigation, while the Kremlin called it “alarming”
Critical consequences of the attack
Technological and financial damages
- It is estimated that the restoration will cost tens of millions of dollars, according to the attackers.
- Customer and employee data could be leaked or published, aggravating reputational impact.
Institutional distrust and lessons for critical infrastructures
- The attack represents a wake-up call to vulnerability of strategic services, such as air transport.
- Russian politicians have described it as an example of the risk faced by any large provider of services to the public.
Keys to preventing attacks on critical infrastructure
Recommended Best Practices
- Continuous monitoring and detection: early detection of internal intrusions.
- Redundancy and rapid recovery: backup systems to ensure operational continuity.
- Periodic safety evaluations (audits and penetration tests).
- Network Segmentation and Sensitive Data Encryption.
- Incident response plan with legal and regulatory protocols.
✅ Recommendations for critical platforms
- Apply anti-DDoS technologies and segmentation to limit the impact of serious intrusions.
- Run digital security crisis drills prior to key events.
- Transparency with users and regulatory authorities in the face of incidents.
🚀 Do you manage critical infrastructure, transport or essential digital services?
In Apolo Cybersecurity we offer:
- Technical audits and risk assessment adapted to air transport and mass services
- DDoS attack simulations and rapid recovery plans
- Legal Response and Regulatory Compliance Protocols (GDPR, ENS, NIS2)
🔐 Request your free consultation now and receive a personalized initial report without obligation.
➡️ Book your free consultation here
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