Personal Privacy at Risk: The Security Threats of Sharing Boarding Passes Online

Abstract

With approximately 140,000 images tagged with #boardingpass on Instagram alone, social media distribution of boarding passes has become somewhat popular. Still, these apparently innocent images might expose travelers to major security and privacy violations by allowing hackers and fraudsters access to private data. A boarding pass typically includes the passenger's full name, frequent traveler number, flight details (number, date, time, seat, class of service), and the booking reference or PNR number. Cybercriminals have the ability to modify flight reservations and even terminate them using the PNR. Additionally, the PNR provides access to confidential passport information that may lead to identity fraud. It has also been reported that travel fraud has been facilitated by hacked registration references, which have enabled the manipulation and unauthorized resale of flight tickets. When the Australian Prime Minister exposed his personal boarding pass on social media in 2020, security professionals showed how unscrupulous persons may exploit printed materials. The episode exposed airlines' widespread cybersecurity concerns, which come from outdated technology and insufficient data protection that fails to protect consumer privacy. The vulnerabilities of everyday passengers are even more severe if significant figures such as heads of state continue to be susceptible to such risks, as critics have cautioned. This paper examines the range of sensitive passenger data revealed through boarding passes and analyzes how it may be misapplied to facilitate identity theft, travel fraud and flight booking violations. Real-world examples are highlighted along with examinations of persistent security deficiencies in airline networks. Suggestions are made to strengthen airline security, warn travelers about boarding pass risks, and enact federal laws guaranteeing consumer data security. This study sounds the warning on the worrisome privacy risks passengers confront in an increasingly dangerous digital environment as social media and over sharing cultures mainstream boarding pass publicizing without heeding ensuing threats. To ensure personal security as well as travel safety across the linked spheres of internet and the international air, proactive actions to reduce boarding pass vulnerabilities must be taken.