Cyber Incident Victim: State of Hawaii
Date:
Oct 2022
Location:
United States of America
Summary
A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack targeted public-facing websites for 15 Hawaiʻi airports, including Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, disrupting access to informational pages while leaving internal systems, operations, and traveler safety unaffected. The incident, potentially linked to Russia-based hacker group Killnet and similar attacks nationally, prompted coordinated response efforts involving the state's Office of Homeland Security, Enterprise Technology Services, and federal partners including CISA and the FBI. State officials emphasized existing cybersecurity preparedness measures, referencing previously established incident response plans developed to address such threats.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 2 motives | 1 technique |
| Threat Actor | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 actor | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On October 10, 2022, the Hawaiʻi Office of Homeland Security confirmed a cybersecurity incident affecting public-facing websites for 15 Hawaiʻi airports, including the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. The incident involved a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack that targeted systems hosting airport website landing pages. State authorities attributed the attack to potential links with similar incidents across the United States allegedly conducted by "Killnet," a Russia-based hacker group. The Office of Enterprise Technology Services (ETS) led technical response efforts with support from the Hawaiʻi Office of Homeland Security. Officials confirmed the attack exclusively disrupted public website accessibility without compromising internal airport systems, operational networks, or traveler safety protocols. Governor David Ige emphasized the state's routine collaboration with federal partners to address cybersecurity threats, noting this incident aligned with existing preparedness measures.
Response coordination included engagement with the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Office of Homeland Security Administrator Frank Pace highlighted the event as a reminder for organizations to maintain vigilance against cyber threats and implement recommended security practices. The state leveraged its Cyber Incident and Cyber Disruption Response Plans, established collaboratively by OHS and ETS in 2021, to manage the situation. No secondary disruptions or data breaches were reported beyond the temporary unavailability of airport information pages. Public communications stressed the containment of impacts to superficial web services while maintaining normal airport operations throughout the incident. Media releases provided factual updates without disclosing technical mitigation specifics or attribution evidence regarding the suspected threat actors.