Security in Aviation; The System's Growing Vulnerabilities to Cyber Terrorism

 The Growing Threat 

    As the aviation industry grows along side the technological revolution, so does the possibility of malicious attackers taking advantage of such technological interconnectedness. The passenger aircraft of today are incredibly complex, interconnected, network based, technological marvels utilizing individual software components that enable smooth operation in the modern airspace system. Each system is heavily reliant on electrical signals which allow it to gain information about weather, communicate with Air Traffic Control, move flight control surfaces, and navigate from place to place. Although no specific cyber terrorism attacks have been officially recorded, it does not mean that one is not all together possible. In fact, it is believed that someone with an in-depth working knowledge of a specific aircraft's systems would be able to interfere with the operation of an airplane, which would have serious ramifications for safety of the flight crew, the passengers, and the ones on the ground below them. Even if an attacker was not able to fully control the airplane, just messing with avionics, electrical systems, or communications could have dire consequences. Some even believe that this kind of terrorism may be linked to the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 that went missing in the Indian Ocean in 2014 (Paganini et al., 2020, para. 2). 

Can we Mitigate the Risks?

    In a recent investigation done by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, or GAO, it was found that the FAA in particular needs to be doing more to address the problem. Among the issues related to the growing risks were insecure supply chains, not applying modifications to commercial aircraft's software, outdated systems on legacy airplanes, and flight data spoofing (U.S. GAO , 2020). In order to directly target these issues, it is recommended that the FAA in conjunction with airlines, aircraft manufacturers, and other aviation authorities on the international scale work together to share information, train employees and government officials, implement contingency plans, and work to improve incident management and prevention. More specifically, the GAO also targeted the FAA and its programs, urging them to create an oversight program that will help them determine the risks of avionics cybersecurity, develop an avionics cybersecurity training program, issue guidance for independent cybersecurity testing, and incorporate periodic testing as a major part of the monitoring process (U.S. GAO, 2020). 

Conclusion

    Different layers in the system are vital to squash security threats and ensure the safety of air travel for everyone and that includes people from the FAA all the way down to the individual airports and their security measures. The oversight programs need to be improved, older avionics on legacy aircraft need to be updated, and contingency plans need to be in place. This security threat is a globally recognized issue with serious ramifications and, as such, needs to be handled with a level of focus similar to other security measures that target terrorism. There are many agencies, plans, and task forces that are put in place to stop terrorism including customs and border protection, the joint terrorism task force, transportation security officers, federal air marshals, and law enforcement officers among many others. The threat of cyber terrorism in aircraft may have similar consequences to more conventional kinds of terrorism and thus needs a similar level of focus and attention. Even though it is a task with complicated steps, it is my belief that it is all together possible to successfully mitigate the risks associated with such malicious behavior.

References 

Paganini, P. (2020, October 14). Cyber threats against the aviation industry. Infosec Resources. Retrieved December 10, 2021, from https://resources.infosecinstitute.com/topic/cyber-threats-aviation-industry/. 

U.S. GAO . (2020, October 9). Aviation cybersecurity: FAA should fully implement key practices to strengthen its oversight of avionics risks. Aviation Cybersecurity: FAA Should Fully Implement Key Practices to Strengthen Its Oversight of Avionics Risks | U.S. GAO. Retrieved December 10, 2021, from https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-86.