A recent report highlights the increased threat of cyber attacks that the airline industry currently faces. The danger that stands out the most is the ability for hackers to gain control of an aircraft through its Wi-Fi system.
The most dangerous threat is to the industry’s most modern aircraft, Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner and Airbus’s A350. Both of which “use interconnected systems that link avionics with passenger Wi-Fi.” Hackers could gain access while onboard the aircraft or from a separate location with one cybersecurity expert noting, “a virus or malware planted in websites visited by passengers could provide an opportunity for a malicious attacker to access the IP-connected onboard information system through their infected machines.”