More than a dozen domestic air carriers and airplane manufactures are being asked to account for their cybersecurity defenses following warnings from a government watchdog that new on-flight technology could be exploited by hackers.
In letters sent to aviation companies Wednesday, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) sought information on: in-flight Wi-Fi services; the vetting of tech vendors; safeguards for critical flight systems, and general protection of customers’ data.
“As technology rapidly continues to advance, we must all work to ensure that the airline industry remains vigilant in protecting its aircraft and systems from cybersecurity breaches and attacks,” Markey said in a statement.
The Senator referenced an April Government Accountability Office (GAO) report calling on the Federal Aviation Administration to take a “more comprehensive approach to address cybersecurity.”
He also in the letter noted reports earlier this year of a passenger who allegedly hacked into a plane’s flight controls via the wireless internet connection in the cabin.
“These recent examples highlight just some of the potential vulnerabilities airline already face,” Markey wrote.
The recipient of the letters were Virgin, United, Sun Country, Spirit, Southwest, JetBlue, Hawaiian Air, Frontier, Delta, American Airlines, Allegiant, and Alaskan Air, plus manufacturers Airbus and Boeing. The Senator asked the carriers to respond by Jan. 11, 2016.
