Secure Travel

The digitalisation of air transport and airport systems requires strong cyber security measures and strategies argues ATUL CHANDRA

- ATUL CHANDRA

Cybercriminals and terrorists can now pose a serious threat to global aviation due to the increasingly digitalised nature of the industry. In the last 10 years, there has been a dramatic shift away from legacy analogue systems to a digital infrastructure backbone for the industry, ranging from airport reservation and ground handling systems, touchless travel and the aircraft themselves featuring extensive use of digital technologies.

Cyber threats are evolving at a rapid pace around the world, with the number of data breaches increasing every year and several aerospace actors affected by cyberattacks ranging from theft of personal data to operations disruption and even supply chain corruption. All this has meant that there are far more entry points for cyber-attacks on the global aviation industry and strict safety measures need to be instituted security measures to sustain and assure safety, reliability and resilience.

Delta Air Lines, a major U.S. carrier and the largest airline in the world by revenue, assets, and mar-ket capitalization in mid-July 2024, experienced a significant operational disruption following the 2024 CrowdStrike incident that included the cancellation of over 1,200 flights. “The reality is stark: our aviation industry is under constant threat from cyberattacks, up 74 per cent since 2020. With the aviation sector contributing more than 5 per cent of our GDP, $ 1.9 trillion in total economic activity, and supporting 11 million jobs, we have to wake up and take these aviation cyber threats seriously,” said U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell at a September 18, 2024, Congressional Hearing.