Report Warns Of Aviation Cybersecurity Risks

A government report found that airplanes have a number of digital technologies that might become susceptible to hackers and says American regulators have not put sufficient methods in place to contend with the risk, Bloomberg reported.

Entertainment systems, wireless networks, technologies that send information back to earth without intervention and position broadcasts are some of the complex digital infrastructure on commercial airliners.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) noted in a report Friday (Oct. 9) that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not held testing of possibly susceptible technology, prioritized digital risks or created a digital security instruction program.

According to the report, as noted by Bloomberg, “Until FAA strengthens its oversight program, based on assessed risks, it may not be able to ensure it is providing sufficient oversight to guard against evolving cybersecurity risks facing avionics systems in commercial airplane.”

The GAO did note that the FAA and plane manufacturers have provided “extensive” safeguards to the computers, and there has been no news of victorious cyberattacks in the sector.

Nonetheless, the report indicated that “the increasing connections between airplanes and other systems, combined with the evolving cyber threat landscape, could lead to increasing risks for future flight safety.”

In separate news, the chief operating officer of Airbus recently said the outlook for the aviation sector is grim as coronavirus infections increase and travel limitations begin again.

Michael Schoellhorn indicated that air travel is at a small percentage of usual levels and air carriers have slowed deliveries of new airplanes.

Schoellhorn told a German newspaper that travel in early fall was below what the firm had anticipated.

He said that with travel at a small portion of typical levels because of limitations and travelers’ concerns of getting the virus, air carriers have slowed orders of new airplanes.

In the summer, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines aiming to attract customers amid COVID-19, dropped change fees for domestic trips, saving customers approximately $200.