The global travel industry is flying high once again, but alongside its recovery comes a surge in digital turbulence. As travel demand surges and operations digitize at an unprecedented rate, cyber criminals are seizing new opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities in this data-rich, highly interconnected sector.
A new report from Check Point shows that from 2023 to 2025, cyber attacks targeting travel and tour operators surged dramatically. Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, ransomware campaigns, phishing schemes, and third-party compromises have plagued the industry, often with devastating consequences. This blog explores the latest travel threat trends, showcases real-world examples, and shares expert recommendations for staying secure in a hostile digital landscape.
Why Is the Travel Sector a Prime Target?
Few industries rely as heavily on real-time data, global communications, and seasonal traffic as travel. From airlines and resorts to booking platforms and transit authorities, organizations in this sector manage sensitive data across dispersed networks. They also depend on third-party vendors for payment processing, authentication, and cloud infrastructure, expanding their attack surface.
Moreover, many travel companies still operate on legacy systems or lack robust DevSecOps practices, making them prime targets for threat actors seeking quick wins.
Key Threats Facing the Sector, with Real-World Incidents
- DDoS Disruptions Crippling Booking Systems
Timed to coincide with peak travel periods, DDoS attacks have become a go-to tactic for attackers aiming to maximize disruption. In March 2025, a major air ticket consolidator’s operations across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland ground to a halt due to a DDoS attack. The outage impacted thousands of customers and disrupted downstream travel agencies relying on the same platform.
These attacks are increasingly being used as leverage for extortion. Threat actors, often part of organized groups, threaten prolonged service interruptions unless ransom payments are made, putting immense pressure on time-sensitive businesses.
- Misconfigured Cloud Storage Leading to Data Breaches
In January 2025, an Australian travel agency suffered a catastrophic breach after failing to secure its Amazon AWS cloud bucket. More than 112,000 sensitive records were exposed, including passport scans, visa documentation, and partial credit card numbers. The breach extended beyond Australian borders, affecting customers from New Zealand, Ireland, and the UK.
This case underscores the need for strict cloud security hygiene. Threat actors increasingly deploy automated tools to scan for misconfigured storage buckets, hunting for files like passwords.txt or .env files that can unlock even more sensitive data.
- Phishing and Credential Theft Fueling Advanced Attacks
The days of poorly written phishing emails are over. Using AI-generated content and social engineering, attackers now create highly convincing lures that can trick even tech-savvy users. In September 2023, a major U.S. resort chain was breached through a sophisticated social engineering campaign. The attackers impersonated an employee after gathering intel via LinkedIn, eventually convincing the IT help desk to reset their access credentials.
Once inside, the attackers moved laterally across the resort’s IT infrastructure, deploying ransomware and stealing 6TB of customer data. This attack involved two notorious cyber criminal groups, Scattered Spider and ALPHV, and disrupted everything from online bookings to room key systems.
- Third-Party and Supply Chain Compromises
Supply chain attacks are on the rise across all sectors, and travel is no exception. In October 2023, Russian hacking group compromised a European airline’s payment system via web skimming malware. Initial damage reports focused on stolen credit card information, but later disclosures revealed that customer names, passport numbers, birthdates, and contact details were also exposed.
Third-party vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous because they bypass traditional perimeter defenses. Attackers target software providers or integrations, then exploit that access to penetrate hardened environments.
- Geopolitical Threats and Hacktivism
The line between cyber crime and cyber warfare is increasingly blurred. In August 2024, German air traffic control fell victim to a state-sponsored campaign attributed to APT28, also known as Fancy Bear. The breach, which targeted administrative IT systems, compromised internal communications and sensitive operational data.
Similar attacks have been launched against transportation authorities in other major economies, signaling that critical infrastructure in the travel sector is firmly on the radar of geopolitical threat actors.
The Top Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs)
Check Point’s report outlines the top ten TTPs used in these attacks. The most critical include:
- T1078 – Valid accounts: Used to maintain persistence and avoid detection.
- T1190 – Exploit public-facing applications: A frequent entry point via VPNs or outdated web apps.
- T1566 – Phishing: Still the most common initial access vector.
- T1027 – Obfuscated files or information: Used for evasion during malware deployment.
These TTPs align with trends observed globally across industries but are particularly potent in a sector where access to booking engines, identity documents, and financial data provides immense value to threat actors.
Proactive Defense for the Travel Sector
Check Point external risk management is integrated into Check Point’s Infinity architecture, bringing targeted protection to the travel industry through:
- Attack surface monitoring (ASM): Scans for exposed assets, misconfigurations, and outdated services.
- Threat intelligence monitoring: Tracks dark web chatter, actor behavior, and sector-specific risks.
- Dedicated analyst support: Helps contextualize alerts and align responses with business impact.
These services are powered by Check Point’s Infinity Platform, which delivers:
- AI-driven threat prevention: With 50+ AI engines, Check Point prevents 99.8% of unknown malware and phishing attacks.
- Cloud-delivered security: Threat intelligence is shared globally in under two seconds.
- Collaborative security operations: A unified approach that ties together cloud, network, endpoint, and IoT protections.
Recommendations for CISOs and Travel Security Teams
- Prioritize visibility: Implement unified security platforms that offer end-to-end monitoring across cloud, endpoint, and network layers.
- Secure the supply chain: Enforce security standards for all vendors and partners. Conduct regular risk assessments and include breach clauses in contracts.
- Invest in automation: AI-powered solutions like Infinity AI Copilot can reduce administrative overhead by up to 90 percent, allowing teams to focus on strategic defense.
- Harden cloud configurations: Apply the principle of least privilege, encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit, and use automated tools to audit configurations.
- Train for sophistication: Modern phishing attacks use advanced social engineering. Employees must be trained to detect these tactics and report them quickly.
Final Boarding Call
Cyber security is no longer just an IT issue for the travel sector, it’s a fundamental business risk. The attacks described in Check Point’s report reveal just how vulnerable and attractive this industry has become to threat actors ranging from cyber criminals to state-sponsored hackers.
Organizations must transition from reactive to proactive. That means deploying prevention-first, AI-driven platforms that reduce complexity, improve visibility, and ensure consistent protection across every layer of the digital experience.
Are you ready to protect your travel business from cyber turbulence? Visit checkpoint.com to learn how Cyberint and Check Point Infinity can help you stay safe while keeping your customers moving. Read the latest Travel and Tour Operations Threat Landscape report here.