Fears terrorists could use WiFi to hack into flight systems and bring down planes

[SuperStylin]

Fears terrorists could use WiFi to hack into flight systems and bring down planes

PUBLISHED : Thursday, 16 April, 2015, 1:04am
UPDATED : Thursday, 16 April, 2015, 1:04am

Associated Press in Washington

A worst-case scenario is that a terrorist with a laptop computer would sit among the passengers and take control of the airplane. Photo: AFP

The same internet access now available on most commercial flights makes it possible for hackers to bring down a plane, a US government watchdog warned.

The finding by the Government Accountability Office presents chilling new scenarios for passengers.

The report does not suggest it would be easy to do, or very likely.

But it points out that as airlines and the US Federal Aviation Administration attempt to modernise planes and flight tracking with internet-based technology, attackers have a vulnerability they could exploit.

A worst-case scenario is that a terrorist with a laptop computer would sit among the passengers and take control of the airplane using its passenger Wi-fi, said Congressman Peter DeFazio who is on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and requested the investigation.

"That's a serious vulnerability, and FAA should work quickly" to fix the problem, DeFazio said.

The avionics in a cockpit operate as a self-contained unit and are not connected to the same system used by passengers to watch movies or work on their laptops.

But as airlines update their systems with internet-based networks, it is not uncommon for Wi-fi systems to share routers or internal wiring.

According to the report, FAA and cybersecurity experts told investigators that airlines were relying on "firewalls" to create barriers. But because firewalls were software, they could be hacked.

Associated Press