US: FAA advisory body recommends cybersecurity measures

US aviation authorities Thursday took the strongest formal action yet to combat potential cyberthreats to planes in the air as well as on the ground. The FAA’s top technical advisory group adopted language seeking to ensure that cybersecurity protections will be incorporated into all future industrywide standards. The move by RTCA Inc.’s program-management committee stops short of mandating detailed engineering requirements or safeguards. Those are reserved for FAA-created committees of experts focused on drafting specific standards for individual industry segments. But by officially elevating cyber issues to such a high priority for the first time, the decision means manufacturers, carriers, maintenance facilities and even airports eventually will be obligated to include cybersecurity factors in routine activities. <br/>