Airlines prioritise safe connections
Within just a few decades, the commercial aviation industry has gone from using computers only for flight bookings to operating an end-to-end digital air travel journey across multiple connected systems. Ticketing, passports, payment information, even airport security processes are linked — but these technological advances create security vulnerabilities. In 2022, there were 38 “successful” cyber attacks on the aviation industry, according to KonBriefing Research. Then, in April this year, pro-Russian hackers claimed responsibility for a five-day attack on Europe’s air traffic control authority — disrupting its website but not European aviation. These attacks have become possible because aviation technology is now a “sea of complexity”, says Frank Dickson, a cyber security analyst at IDC, a research company. “You took a system that was incredibly secure and connected it — [which creates] an attack surface,” he says. “It’s surprising that it hasn’t had more significant cyber security breaches.” How, then, does the industry protect itself and customers from cyber attacks? Is disconnecting an option? Most experts doubt whether a large-scale disconnecting of systems to the internet, or from each other, is feasible, given the disruption this would probably cause passengers. In fact, the direction of travel is towards more automation and technology. However, some airports and airlines — including American Airlines and Spain’s Iberia — have begun exploring new techniques, such as encrypted, single-use digital tokens and facial recognition technology, to verify passengers’ identity. These technologies aim to make journeys through airports faster and more secure and, post-pandemic, with less physical contact. Aviation is “moving to a more digital version of identity management”, says Philippe Vallée, executive vice-president of digital identity and security at Thales, a technology company that supplies the aviation industry. <br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2023-09-22/general/airlines-prioritise-safe-connections
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Airlines prioritise safe connections
Within just a few decades, the commercial aviation industry has gone from using computers only for flight bookings to operating an end-to-end digital air travel journey across multiple connected systems. Ticketing, passports, payment information, even airport security processes are linked — but these technological advances create security vulnerabilities. In 2022, there were 38 “successful” cyber attacks on the aviation industry, according to KonBriefing Research. Then, in April this year, pro-Russian hackers claimed responsibility for a five-day attack on Europe’s air traffic control authority — disrupting its website but not European aviation. These attacks have become possible because aviation technology is now a “sea of complexity”, says Frank Dickson, a cyber security analyst at IDC, a research company. “You took a system that was incredibly secure and connected it — [which creates] an attack surface,” he says. “It’s surprising that it hasn’t had more significant cyber security breaches.” How, then, does the industry protect itself and customers from cyber attacks? Is disconnecting an option? Most experts doubt whether a large-scale disconnecting of systems to the internet, or from each other, is feasible, given the disruption this would probably cause passengers. In fact, the direction of travel is towards more automation and technology. However, some airports and airlines — including American Airlines and Spain’s Iberia — have begun exploring new techniques, such as encrypted, single-use digital tokens and facial recognition technology, to verify passengers’ identity. These technologies aim to make journeys through airports faster and more secure and, post-pandemic, with less physical contact. Aviation is “moving to a more digital version of identity management”, says Philippe Vallée, executive vice-president of digital identity and security at Thales, a technology company that supplies the aviation industry. <br/>
