Malaysia Airlines Says Its Systems Were Not Compromised in Vendor Data Breach

Malaysia Airlines has said that its own systems were not compromised despite a cybersecurity breach at a vendor, according to a report published by The Star on Sunday (November 1). Malay Mail also ran a headline the same day saying the airline warns customers of data exposure in the breach at Amadeus, the travel technology provider that supplies reservation software to many airlines around the world.

What is known

The distinction the airline is drawing is important. A breach at a third-party vendor does not necessarily mean the airline's own network was hacked, but it can still affect passenger information that is stored or processed on the vendor's platform. The reports I reviewed do not spell out exactly what types of information were involved for Malaysia Airlines customers or how many people may be affected, so readers should rely on the airline's official notice for those details.

The wider picture

The Amadeus incident has hit several carriers in Asia and Europe. Bloomberg, in a report carried by The Star on October 30, said Cathay Pacific had around 53,000 bookings affected by unauthorised access to reservation data held by Amadeus between August 2023 and September 2026. Japan Airlines said about 92,000 customer records were exposed, ANA Holdings reported that information of up to 37,800 passengers was leaked, and Korean Air Lines and Condor have also said their data was affected.

What travellers can do

General cybersecurity advice applies when an airline announces a vendor-related breach. Be cautious about unexpected emails, text messages or phone calls that mention your booking, even if they appear to come from the airline. Do not click links or share one-time passwords. Consider updating passwords for any frequent flyer accounts and monitor them for unusual activity. When in doubt, contact the airline using the contact details printed on its official website or app.

The situation may develop as the airline and the vendor complete their investigations.

Sources: The Star - Our system not compromised despite vendor's cybersecurity breach, says Malaysian Airlines | The Star (Bloomberg) - Cathay Pacific joins growing list of airlines hit by data breach