By Allan Holmes | Wednesday, January 09, 2008 | 10:54 AM
The Federal Aviation Administration issued rules to Boeing last week to tighten up the information security of the networks on board its much touted Dreamliner, fearing a hacker could take over control of the jet.
The Dreamliner, which Boeing introduced last summer, will provide passengers unprecedented Internet access and other entertainment from networks. But networks also will operate the jet's flight controls and monitor other operations. "Because of this new passenger connectivity, the proposed data network design and integration may result in security vulnerabilities from intentional or unintentional corruption of data and systems critical to the safety and maintenance of the airplane," the FAA wrote.
The FAA won’t certify the jet for flights until Boeing can prove the networks are secure. Boeing officials insist the networks are adequately secured by firewalls, but as some security experts point out (and here), hackers have been known to get around most any firewall.
Comments
Before jumping the gun and shooting from the hip with excitement, concern, hype and nervousness, it might be a better idea for the FAA and Boeing to go through a Software System Safety Engineering joint exercise to find out if the onboard internet access circuitry and aircraft systems operation circuitry are totally separate and cannot be cross over hacked in any way. Beoing, being the builder of most of the USAF and US Navy fighter aircraft build in "classified" software source code into each aircraft's Operational FLight Program (OFP). So should the same approach be taken on the Dreamliner. It may be that Boeing and the FAA may have to adopt a similar software source code policy with the Dreamliner as Boeing and the Services do with software source code on Foreign Military Sales contracts with foreign governments. I've never heard of any hacker invasively taking control of a military aircraft.
William Bidlack | Wednesday, January 09, 2008 | 12:50 PMABOUT THIS BLOG
Allan Holmes on what's happening and what's being discussed in the world of federal information technology.








