Panasonic Avionics Corporation, a key supplier of in-flight entertainment, has disclosed a data breach from December 2022, affecting numerous individuals. The breach, which occurred in their corporate network, led to unauthorized access to a range of personal information. Panasonic identified the issue on December 30, 2022, and initiated a thorough investigation with cybersecurity experts to determine the impact and identify the individuals affected.
The exposed data includes names, contact details, dates of birth, medical and health insurance information, financial account numbers, employment status, and government identifiers like Social Security numbers. Panasonic emphasized that there’s no evidence yet of the data being misused post-attack.
As a precaution, Panasonic is offering 24 months of complimentary identity and credit monitoring services through Kroll for those impacted. They advise monitoring reports for any unusual activity. A spokesperson assured that the breach was limited to employee and customer data, with no impact on in-flight entertainment systems or other operational technologies.
Panasonic’s in-flight entertainment solutions are widespread, installed on over 15,000 commercial aircraft. The company services more than 200 airlines, accounting for about 70% of the global in-flight entertainment-equipped fleet, highlighting the potential scale of the breach.
