Electronic Distribution of Airplane Software and the Impact of Information Security on Airplane Safety

The general trend towards ubiquitous networking has reached the realm of airplanes. E-enabled airplanes with wired and wireless network interfaces offer a wide spectrum of network applications, in particular electronic distribution of software (EDS), and onboard collection and off-board retrieval of airplane health reports. On the other hand, airplane safety may be heavily dependent on the security of data transported in these applications. The FAA mandates safety regulations and policies for the design and development of airplane software to ensure continued airworthiness. However, data networks have well known security vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers to corrupt and/or inhibit the transmission of airplane assets, i.e. software and airplane generated data. The aviation community has recognized the need to address these security threats. This paper explores the role of information security in emerging information technology (IT) infrastructure for distribution of safe...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2007
• Where: SAFECOMP
• Authors: Richard Robinson, Mingyan Li, Scott Lintelman, Krishna Sampigethaya, Radha Poovendran, David von Oheimb, Jens-Uwe Bußer, Jorge Cuéllar
• Keywords: Airplane, Airplane Software, SAFECOMP 2007, Security