Commercial airliners could be hacked in flight by passengers using a plane’s wireless entertainment system to access its flight controls, a US watchdog agency has warned.
A new report from the US Government Accountability Office identified the danger as one of several emerging cybersecurity weaknesses that the Federal Aviation Administration must address as the air traffic control systems move toward next generation technology.
“Internet connectivity in the cabin should be considered a direct link between the aircraft and the outside world, which includes potential malicious actors,” the report said.
As someone who has been a frequent flyer for decades, I was always hoping that technological advancements would make flying safer, not bring about something new to worry about. The thought of some disgruntled hacker (have you ever met a gruntled hacker?) taking out his break-up on a passenger jet turns air travel into a potential Stephen King novel.
Honestly, I am one of the few frequent flyers I know who hasn’t really welcomed in-flight WiFi. One of my favorite things about being on a plane is being disconnected from the world for a few hours.
Hey, I’m just trying to keep everyone safe.
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