Russian hackers compromised the JFK airport taxi dispatch system

A couple of United States citizens were apprehended by authorities after scheming with Russian hackers to hack the JFK airport taxi dispatch system to move cabs to the front of the queue in exchange for a $10 payment.

JFK Airport’s taxi dispatch system is a computer-controlled system that allows taxi drivers to be dispatched from the airport’s holding lot to get the next available passenger at the corresponding terminal.

Taxi drivers commonly wait several hours in the holding lot before the dispatch system calls them. This system was organised by several bodies of the government to maintain a justified operational environment for cab drivers in an area with a high demand for their transport services.

 

Two men working with Russian hackers have breached the JFK airport taxi dispatch system.

 

Earlier this week, the US Department of Justice announced that a couple of men named Peter Leyman and Daniel Abayev have conspired with Russian hackers to breach the JFK airport taxi dispatch system.

The DOJ explained that the hackers utilised their unauthorised access to develop a paid-for service that enabled taxis waiting for a fare at JFK to cut the queue and get dispatched immediately.

Cab drivers who participated in the malicious activity had to pay the Russian hackers a $10 fee in cash or mobile transfer. In addition, drivers who promote the service would be given waivers to skip the queue for free.

The communication between the hackers and the taxi drivers occurred in chat applications on private groups. These private groups allowed the two apprehended individuals to make announcements.

Multiple spreadsheet files observed by authorities indicate that the dispatch hacking scheme aided taxi drivers to have approximately 2,500 trips per week. DOJ’s indictment also claimed that Leyman and Abayev transferred more than a hundred thousand dollars to the Russian hackers, with transaction purpose labelled as ‘payment for software development.’

The US Department of Justice charged both men with a maximum sentence of 10 years for two counts of conspiracy to execute computer intrusion. Lastly, both accused would have to forfeit all their property directly or indirectly related to the offences to the United States.