(Newswire.net — April 23, 2015) — The FBI has again warned airline companies who have Wi-Fi service available in their airplanes to search for possible malware software that may jeopardize avionics or other vital flight systems.
Amid reports that flight systems of airplanes with Wi-Fi connectivity could be hacked during flight, airline crews are being asked to keep their eyes open for suspicious activities.
The new warning arose after the Federal agents questioned a security researcher Chris Roberts. Roberts wrote on Twitter about trying to access the systems while onboard a United Airlines passenger jet.
Reportedly, Roberts asked his Twitter followers on April 15 if he should “start playing” with the messages used to control the plane’s engine-indicators and crew-alerting system, or EICAS, potentially giving commands to the jet’s oxygen system. According to IT magazine Wired, Roberts later said he did not gain access the plain’s systems, though it is not cleared if he could do that.
“Although the media claims remain theoretical and unproven, the media publicity associated with these statements may encourage actors to use the described intrusion methods,” according to Wired, who cited the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Infraguard website warning. “Attempting to gain unauthorized access to the onboard networks of a commercial aircraft violates federal law.”
According to the website, the notice went on to say that flight crews should specifically watch out for travelers “connecting unknown cables or wires.”
“Modern communications technologies, including IP connectivity, are increasingly used in aircraft systems, creating the possibility that unauthorized individuals might access and compromise aircraft avionics systems,” the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported earlier this month.
According to a cyber-security expert Dr. Jon C. Haass, planes are becoming “more automated… therefore there’s a greater possibility of having some of the systems compromised.”
According to Wired, Roberts has conducted extensive research into the airplane networks vulnerabilities in the past and has reached out to Boeing and Airbus, but to little response.