Cybersecurity

By now, it should be obvious that no sector of society is immune to cyberattacks. And yet, the legions of companies that are planning the electric air taxi revolution spend far more time showing off their cabin designs and flight ranges than bragging about their cybersecurity plans. Architects of these aircraft and the traffic management system must plan now for cybersecurity, say three authors from the Institute for Public Research, part of the nonprofit CNA Corporation based in Virginia.

Satcom companies, perhaps for good reason, rely on a complex web of suppliers and subcontractors to deliver us our internet connections and television programming. That can make it hard to enforce sound cyber practices across an entire network. And when an attack does occur, it can take months or longer to determine how it unfolded. Can anything be done? Andrea Valentino went looking for answers.

The growing digital interconnectedness between aircraft networks is making operations more efficient for airlines and providing conveniences for the traveling public. But now, bad actors are threatening to turn this happy revolution against us. Josh Lospinoso puts on his hacker hat to point us to tactics for better cybersecurity in the air.

Navigation technologies including GPS make planes vulnerable to cyberattacks and put them at risk of accidents. Josh Lospinoso of cybersecurity firm Shift5 assesses the challenges and possible solutions.

The U.S. Defense Department’s process for updating weapon software is notoriously ponderous, and this threatens to put the country at a disadvantage, if it hasn’t already. What if updates could be developed and dispatched almost continuously to all forces, perhaps even to aircraft in flight? Jan Tegler interviewed the man who wants to make it a reality.

NASA’s cybersecurity track record has been a troubled one, but as far as the public record shows, the troubles have not reached the International Space Station. What should NASA do to keep it that way? Sarah Wells spoke to cybersecurity experts to find out.

The GPS constellation, communications satellites, the rockets that launch them, and the ranges and networks that control them have something in common. Under U.S. cybersecurity policy, they do not amount to a specific sector of critical infrastructure. The Trump administration may change this. Debra Werner finds out why.

The aviation industry once treated all hackers as threats, even those who sought a bit of fame but not necessarily fortune by publicly demonstrating vulnerabilities without causing damage. Debra Werner says the industry’s view of these hackers is changing.