Report Finds Aviation Cyber Losses Average $1.4 Million
- By Danielle Naidu
- Sep 24, 2026
Research commissioned by Bridewell puts average cybersecurity breach losses among aviation organizations at $1.4 million over the previous 12 months. Censuswide surveyed 250 cybersecurity professionals working in the U.S. aviation sector.
Phishing was the most widely reported attack, experienced by 90% of respondents. At least 88% of respondents encountered an incident involving malware, credential theft or distributed denial-of-service attacks.
Financial losses ranged from $500,000 to $999,999 for 41.2% of respondents, while 30.8% reported losses between $1 million and $4.9 million.
Threats involving airport operational infrastructure and supply chain partners were an extreme concern for 60% of respondents. More than three in four reported increased cybersecurity spending during the current fiscal year, but recruiting specialized workers remained difficult.
AI and machine learning security expertise was identified by 40% of respondents as the hardest skill set to find, followed by aviation-specific regulatory expertise at 39.6%.
About the Author
Danielle Naidu is assistant editor for Security Today, Campus Security Today, Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Protection Online.