TECH TALK


AVIATION (IS HOPEFULLY) GETTING MORE SERIOUS ABOUT SECURITY


BY JOHN PAWLICKI


MOST MAJOR CHANGES TO INTERNATIONAL AVIATION POLICIES EMANATE FROM THE FAA —NOT EASA, AND NOT THE MANY INDUSTRY STANDARDS BODIES. WHEN CONGRESS DIRECTS THE FAA TO DEFINE CYBERSECURITY REGULATIONS FOR AIRPLANE MANUFACTURERS, THIS CAN CERTAINLY BE CALLED AN OVERDUE STEP IN THE PROPER DIRECTION. HOPEFULLY.


This was driven by the latest


FAA Reauthorization Act signed by President Obama in July, which contained various security-related provisions. Driving this is not only NextGen, but also the quick pace of technological advancements in wireless connectivity both in fl ight, in airports and in maintenance hangars, which has elevated the anxiety over increasing aviation-related cybersecurity risks. This bill calls for the development of a “framework of principles and policies to reduce cybersecurity risks to the national airspace system, civil aviation and agency information systems using a total systems approach that takes


24 | DOMmagazine.com | oct nov 2016


into consideration the interactions and interdependence of diff erent components of aircraft systems and the national airspace system.” It also requires the disclosure


of information related to cyber issues related to aircraft systems, maintenance and ground support systems for aircraft, and to identify and address cybersecurity vulnerabilities to the United States commercial aviation system. It remains to be seen how the


directive is implemented, but it is an excellent start.


This type of framework identifi ed in the FAA Reauthorization Act was a big focus of Senator Ed


Markey’s earlier this year when he introduced the Cyber AIR Act, which called for upgraded and expanded standard in identifying cybersecurity protections for aircraft and computer systems (refer to the text box for the summary of this bill). This was introduced in April 2016, and has not moved forward to a vote yet, so it is unclear how where this more detailed bill stands. It contains additional language on what steps the FAA should take, and was derived from feedback from the industry which the Senator had received. (The bill can be found at www.congress. gov/bill/114th-congress/senate- bill/2764/text ).


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