DEF CON Attendees Allegedly Jammed Plane Wi-Fi and Broadcast Fake ‘Delta WiFi Fast’ Network
Brief
A Delta Air Lines flight carrying passengers home from the world’s largest hacking conference became the center of a rapidly unfolding cybersecurity scare on Monday, after crew members reported that someone onboard had jammed the aircraft’s official Wi-Fi and stood up a convincing fake network designed to phish fellow travelers.
The incident, which unfolded on Delta Flight 591 from Las Vegas to Atlanta, has triggered a formal airline investigation and partnership with federal law enforcement, while drawing sharp criticism from security professionals who called the alleged stunt reckless.
According to accounts drawn from Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) messages and subsequent reporting, the Boeing 757 departed Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport roughly an hour before the crew first raised the alarm.