CYBER

The project CYBER - Aviation Resilience – Cybersecurity Threat Landscape will investigate all connected systems, both on the aircraft and on the ground, that rely on external digital signals or services like satellite communications, or Position Navigation and Time (PNT). It will also look at systems used for controlling, navigating, managing, and maintaining the aircraft, as well as other types of operations such as getting the flight ready. 
 

Instead of focusing on specific designs, CYBER will examine general architecture and concepts for aircraft, ground, and space-based systems. Evaluations will be done through simulations that involve, as much as possible, the whole infrastructure. The main goal of this research is to increase our understanding of the risks to information security in aviation that could impact safety, and to identify potential and emerging risks. With this knowledge, EASA aims to help build a stronger and more resilient aviation system for the future.
 

The research objectives and the expected outcome

The project aims to identify cybersecurity threats having a potential negative impact on the safety of flight operations. The scope includes connected systems (airborne and ground) dependant on external digital signals or Position Navigation and Time (PNT) services:

• for digital communication;
• for flight control;
• for system management (installation, update, maintenance, decommission);
• for other types of operation (e.g. flight preparation).

Furthermore, the scope includes generic functional architectures for aircraft, ground and space systems and does not focus on specific design.

The expected outcome of this research project is to gain a better understanding of the information security risk in aviation having potential negative impact on safety. This knowledge should contribute to the on-going implementation of a roadmap towards a more resilient aviation system: 

• Short-term: Identification of critical areas where contingency measures should be defined, prioritised and disseminated to the impacted stakeholders.
• Mid-term: Identification of areas where design changes that could improve the resilience of the aviation system should be defined, prioritised and disseminated to the impacted stakeholders.
• Long-term: Identification of areas where further knowledge is needed, either via specific studies or research projects.

Expected output:

• A risk assessment methodology that enables a comprehensive and consistent means to evaluate information security risk having a potential impact on aviation safety;
• A current and future information security risk landscape having potential impact on aviation safety;
• Summary of threats and their potential harmful impacts to safety that should be considered by authorities and organisations by order of priority;
• Preventive and mitigative barriers development, either by security or safety measures, including awareness campaigns, dedicated training, behavioural human aspects, specific policies, that would contribute to the resilience against identified cybersecurity threats;
• Assessment of emerging technologies and trends to ensure aviation readiness for future potential threats, and proposal for specific studies or research projects.

Work packages

Work Package 1 - Cybersecurity Risk Assessment:  The objective of this task is to determine the most effective method for identifying and mitigating potential information security threats that may materialise into hazards for aviation safety.

Work Package 2 -  Survey of existing publications on cybersecurity risk: The objective of this task is to gather a comprehensive understanding of the current information security risk landscape in order to develop robust informational foundations upon which the research strategy can be refined. 

WP3 - Impact assessment on safety of cybersecurity threats: The objective of this task is to understand the potential impact of each information security threat, in particular its potential to cause, or contribute to a serious incident or accident in aviation.

WP4 - Risk and residual risk: The first objective of this task is to provide a technical evaluation of the threats, ranked by their adverse impact on safety.  The second objective of this task is to provide a list of preventive and mitigative barriers to treat the risks identified during the assessment.

WP5 - Conclusions, recommendations, implementation roadmap and cost-benefit analysis: The objective of this task is to produce a final report consisting of a list of recommendations and a strategic roadmap for the implementation of the contingency measures identified.

Events 

Upcoming events will be announced here.