Cybercrime
Taking cybersecurity to the next level Aviation cybercrime is on the increase as new airline systems and remote working increase the digital surface attack area.
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BY GRAHAM NEWTON
IMAGES: SHUTTERSTOCK/ISTOCK
88% of passengers will share immigration information prior to departure for expedited processing
Airlines 2022 – 01
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ombined with imminent cyber regulations in several jurisdictions, having appropriate aviation cybersecurity measures are more important than ever. The industry faces threats from individual hackers and organized crime, up to statesponsored actors. There are three areas that airlines have to consider: passenger services, operations, and aircraft control. Passenger services covers everything from the initial booking to identity management and a bespoke travel experience. Fraud, most particularly ticket sales, is the major concern and, in a normal year, costs airlines about $1 billion. But fake refund claims and exploiting airline Frequent Flyer Programs (FFP) have become just as prevalent as credit card crime. Aside from dealing with fraud, airlines must work hard at securing passenger data. Everything the industry is trying to do to streamline and simplify the air travel experience involves the use of data. Everything collected must be balanced with data ethics and good practice calls for data minimization—only using the data that is needed. Nevertheless, many of the advances in airport processes, such as biometric facilitation, require passengers to provide important personal details. Privacy laws, such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), set high standards for securing this data and most passengers seem happy to share information where necessary.
The latest IATA Global Passenger Survey found that: 73% of passengers are willing to share their biometric data to improve airport processes (up from 46% in 2019). 88% will share immigration information prior to departure for expedited processing. Just over a third of passengers (36%) have experienced the use of biometric data when traveling. Of these, 86% were satisfied with the experience. However, data protection remains a key issue with 56% indicating concern about data breaches. And passengers want clarity on who their data is being shared with (52%) and how it is used/processed (51%). “Privacy concerns are not unique to aviation but that doesn’t make any difference,” says Manon Gaudet, Assistant Director, Aviation Cybersecurity. “Aviation still has to address them and put cybersecurity measures in place.” She insists, however, that this is not just about achieving compliance with regulations. “We don’t want checklist security,” she says. “Airlines must implement risk-based systems.” Trust issues
Trust in data exchange is also at the heart of operational cyber issues. Data has to flow across the aviation value chain and that means systems talking to each other and all parties having confidence that the data is protected.
airlines.iata.org
28/02/2022 14:55
