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Boeing 787 Dreamliner,

Internet Security Problems Flying Through the Air

Down here on terra-firma where the earth is firm beneath our feet, internet problems are a pain in the ass. Without even going in to the phishing scams and the like, our computers are a hot-bed for internet savvy hackers to infiltrate; or they would be, if the common Joe had anything of value on there. 

So what happens when those problems start flying around up above us?

That is the problem Boeing is currently facing at the moment, after a report filed by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration exposed the possibility that the new 787 Dreamliner may be open to hacking attacks while in mid-air.

For some time now airlines have been trying to get the internet into the air, so that employees will never again be out of contact. Boeing’s new Dreamliner is one in a line of planes that will allow passengers that ability, to check their email and the like during their long (or short) flights.

But a problem crept up in the implementation of such a system, or at least, in Boeing’s implementation.

According to the “special conditions” document produced by the FAA, the network from which passengers will be able to connect to the internet is also connected to the plane’s navigation and communication system.

No doubt the problem is somewhat evident now.

“This is serious,” said Mark Loveless, a network security analyst with Autonomic Networks. “This isn’t a desktop computer. It’s controlling the systems that are keeping people from plunging to their deaths. So I hope they are really thinking about how to get this right.”

For those wanting just that last piece of the puzzle, I’ll explain just how this is bad news. An internet hacker, attempting to break in to any location, is looking for a solid link from a to b. It doesn’t need to be much, but the smallest physical link allows an accomplished hacker to penetrate the system. The subsequent issue on board a plane, whose communication and navigation system is linked to one’s internet, is that a malicious hacker might be able to do some serious, possibly fatal, damage.

The design [of the onboard network] “allows new kinds of passenger connectivity to previously isolated data networks connected to systems that perform functions required for the safe operation of the airplane,” says the FAA document. “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.”

Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter made note though that the FAA document’s wording was misleading. Gunter informed the media that the two systems were not in fact connected. However she went on to say “There are places where the networks are not touching, and there are places where they are.”

Boeing has been directed by the FAA to fix these issues before the plane can be sold, of which according to Boeing there are already 800 advanced orders. Boeing is already working on the problem, installing firewalls and electronic “air gaps” so that the flow of information is entirely one way. The FAA and Boeing have already agreed upon the tests that will be initiated during an in-flight test, tentatively scheduled for March of this year.