Cyber Incident Victim: Hobart Airport
Date:
Apr 2015
Location:
Australia
Summary
The Hobart Airport website was compromised and defaced with a message supporting Islamic State, prompting its temporary shutdown while security protocols were reviewed. Flight information was redirected to airline sites during the outage, with authorities confirming no operational threats to the airport. Tasmania Police attributed the incident to a group indiscriminately targeting organizations using specific web hosts, noting similar global defacements. An investigation was initiated alongside security reviews, coinciding with broader cyberattacks linked to geopolitical tensions over anti-IS military actions.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 1 motive | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On April 12, 2015, Hobart Airport's website was compromised and defaced at approximately 3:30 AM Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) with a message expressing support for the Islamic State (IS) radical group. The unauthorized content remained visible until airport management disabled the site, replacing it with a notice stating the website was non-operational and apologizing for inconvenience. Flight information seekers were directed to individual airline websites during the outage. Tasmania Police were alerted to the incident at 5:30 AM AEST, initiating an investigation coordinated with airport management. Authorities confirmed the defacement mirrored content previously posted on thousands of globally compromised websites since late 2014, attributing the activity to hackers indiscriminately targeting organizations using specific web hosting services. No direct threats against airport operations or infrastructure were identified in the defaced message.
The airport maintained its website offline indefinitely while reviewing security protocols and collaborating with law enforcement. Tasmania Police emphasized their commitment to supporting airport security measures through the investigation, though no immediate operational disruptions to flights or physical facilities occurred. This incident followed closely after a high-profile cyberattack against France’s TV5Monde, which attackers linked to France’s military opposition to IS. Both incidents involved website defacements advocating IS ideology, though Hobart’s breach lacked the operational sabotage elements observed in the French case. The airport’s public communications focused exclusively on restoring website functionality without referencing potential attribution or broader geopolitical implications.