Cybersecurity on airplanes and in airports is top of mind
again.
Following last month’s apparent attack at Seattle-Tacoma
International Airport, and the Federal Aviation Administration subsequently
saying it will look into funding more measures against the security
attacks, Congress is now discussing the issue.
It is led by none other than US Senator Maria
Cantwell, whose name was prominent earlier this year
during hearings into Boeing and the Alaska Airlines incident.
Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chair of the Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science and Transportation, and Committee Democrats focused during hearings on
the need to invest in resilient and redundant information technology systems at
airports and airlines to better protect against cybersecurity threats,
safeguard passengers’ and employees’ personal data—including credit card and
frequent flyer accounts—and ensure consumers have the tools they need to
recover when they are harmed.
“The reality is stark: our aviation industry is under
constant threat from cyberattacks, up 74 percent since 2020,” said Sen.
Cantwell. “Every time we witness these technology failures, consumers are
the ones left holding the bag.”
Whether the hearings gain any traction remains to be
seen.
The attack at Sea-Tac International Airport was so comprehensive
that employees had to use handwritten signs to direct passengers to the gates. Airlines
had to issue old-fashioned paper tickets.
“That is why we are here today – to spotlight this
issue and figure out what more needs to be done, and to let the travelling
public know [what] Congress and the federal government are doing to combat
potential disruptions to their air travel and safety,” Sen. Cantwell said.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth suggested more of a group effort.
“I am a pilot myself,” Duckworth said. “I know that the
basic thing in aviation safety is you should never be left to a single point of
failure in any system and that redundancy saves lives. When Boeing left a
safety critical system on the 737 MAX dependent on a single angle of attack
sensor, two flights crashed, killing 346 people."
"So when I see the NOTAM system
knocked out by an accidental file deletion and so much of the aviation system
knocked out by the CrowdStrike software update, that really worries me," Duckworth continued. "That’s
a single point of failure and we don't want that. To better protect the
aviation systems from cyberattacks, I believe we need to improve both
redundancy and resiliency.”
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