Reuters
• David Shepardson
A government watchdog report cited by Sen. Ron Wyden says communications between U.S. air traffic controllers and commercial aircraft are “incredibly insecure.” The findings call on the Federal Aviation Administration to take steps to address identified threats to a core operational communications system.
Cybersecurity (Cyber Threats & Protection)
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A government watchdog report cited by Sen. Ron Wyden says communications between U.S. air traffic controllers and commercial aircraft are “incredibly insecure.” The findings call on the Federal Aviation Administration to take steps to address identified threats to a core operational communications system.
Nearly 978,000 maritime GPS-jamming events were recorded worldwide in the first quarter, with 98% concentrated in the Middle East Gulf. The unprecedented disruption affected more than 1,100 vessels and is accelerating demand for navigation resilience that does not rely exclusively on space-based positioning systems.
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A one-millisecond software defect brought down the UK system managing airspace on September 8, causing widespread flight disruption and thousands of cancellations. NATS’ preliminary report ruled out a cyber-attack and military intervention as engineers worked to restore service.
Galileo has demonstrated authenticated civil positioning and ranging for the first time in civil tests, with five satellites transmitting encrypted signal components. The capability is intended to help users verify that navigation data is genuine as spoofing threats increasingly challenge confidence in satellite-based positioning.
Vietjet and Thales signed agreements in Paris covering aircraft maintenance, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity during Vietnam’s state visit to France. The deals broaden the relationship between the Vietnamese airline and the European aerospace and technology group across operational support and digital capabilities.
Cryptographic systems relied on for decades to secure sensitive communications and critical infrastructure could become vulnerable to sufficiently powerful quantum computers. Satellite operators and space-system developers face a long-term security challenge involving the protection of command, control and data links against future quantum-enabled attacks.
Honeywell and Q-CTRL are separately testing magnetic-navigation systems based on quantum sensors, aiming to help aircraft maintain reliable positioning when GPS signals are jammed or spoofed. The work targets a growing vulnerability in aviation’s dependence on satellite-based navigation.
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UK air travel is recovering after a NATS flight-processing failure disrupted operations, canceled more than 2,000 flights and stranded hundreds of thousands of passengers. Although services returned to normal and NATS ruled out a cyber attack, aircraft and crew repositioning is extending the disruption.
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