Airports aren’t just transit hubs anymore—they’re digital ecosystems. From cloud applications and underlying identity and network infrastructure to retail networks and baggage systems, everything is connected. And that’s exactly why they’ve become prime targets for attack.
Ransomware groups like Scattered Spider have shifted their focus to critical industries, with both airlines and airports increasingly targeted. They're actively going after the systems that keep people, planes, and payments moving. One well-placed ransomware attack can throw an entire airport into chaos—especially during peak travel times.
Disruptions are embarrassing, dangerous, and expensive—so waiting until after a breach to think about recovery is a mistake no airport can afford. How do we protect air travel from malicious cyber actors?
Identity: A Foundation of Airport Security
What is the first thing a traveller has to do when they check in at the airport before departure? Show their ID and prove they are who they say they are. An airport’s physical security is predicated on knowing who is in the airport and if they pose a threat.
The same must be true of the IT systems that power air travel. Modern airports depend on platforms like Microsoft's Active Directory and Entra ID to control access and keep things running—whether it's staff swiping into secure zones, baggage being scanned and tracked, or retail outlets in the terminal processing payments.
Hackers know this too. Indeed, the FBI and other agencies have issued alerts about ransomware crews actively targeting identity systems. Taking out identity is the fastest way to bring operations to a halt; when identity systems are unavailable, everything else starts to break. Flights get delayed. Employees lose access to critical systems. Shops can’t take payments. Baggage piles up.
Airports have the metal detectors, x-ray machines and TSA agents necessary to keep threat actors away. But are they equipped with the right technologies to keep cyber threat actors out of their critical systems?
Resilience Is What Matters Now
Most airports already use security tools like firewalls, monitoring systems, and access controls to safeguard their systems. But those tools can’t guarantee attackers won’t get in. And when they get in (and they will), the real question becomes: how fast can you bounce back?
That’s where cyber resilience comes in.
When an incident occurs, airports must be able to get back to functioning quickly, without days or weeks of downtime. To do that, you need to be able to:
Quickly and effectively recover identity systems
Set clear cyber recovery goals (a real Cyber Recovery Time Objective)
Keep clean, untouchable backups of critical data
Test your recovery process on an ongoing basis
How Rubrik Can Help
Rubrik helps airports recover faster when things go wrong. Here's what that looks like in practice:
Reliable Backups You Can Trust: Rubrik backups are immutable and indelible, which means they can’t be altered or deleted—even if attackers gain access to your network. They’re also encrypted and stored safely, so you’ve always got a clean copy to fall back on.
Early Threat Warnings: Rubrik doesn’t just store data—it watches for signs of trouble. If there’s suspicious encryption or a pattern that looks like ransomware, it flags it fast. This gives you a head start before the damage spreads.
Rapid Recovery: Whether you need to restore a single server or bring entire applications back online, Rubrik is built for speed. It helps you avoid reinfection and recover exactly what you need, without having to start from scratch.
Modernize Backups Without the Complexity: Many airports are deep into their cloud journeys, which brings more efficiency, but also more complexity and higher storage costs. Rubrik can help streamline all of that, allowing airports to optimize storage with economical cloud options, reduce duplicate data, and manage backups across environments without juggling multiple tools. Most importantly, it enables fast, reliable data restoration—without delays or workarounds.
In short: less overhead, more control, faster recovery.
Securing Airports for Today and Tomorrow
Rubrik gives IT and operations teams a better way forward—offering solutions to stay protected, recover faster, and ensure airports continue to operate even when the unthinkable occurs.
Curious how your team can stay ahead of ransomware and identity system attacks with a real recovery plan? Schedule a demo today to learn how to protect your airport’s critical operations and recover quickly when it matters most.