FAA Computers Still Vulnerable to Cyberattack

Federal Aviation Administration computer systems remain vulnerable to cyber attacks despite improvements at a number of key radar facilities in the past year, according to a new government review. The Department of Transportation’s Inspector General said while the FAA has taken steps to install more sophisticated systems to detect cyber intrusions in some air traffic control facilities, most sites have not been upgraded. And there is no timetable yet to complete the project, the IG said.The FAA said that upgrades to critical air traffic control systems have taken precedence over the intrusion detection improvements at a number of facilities. Without the detection abilities, the FAA cannot effectively monitor air traffic control for possible cyber attacks or take action to stop them. The computer systems used to control air traffic are often in the same building as ones used for administrative functions, but they are not connected. Cyber experts repeatedly warn, however, that in some cases software glitches and other gaps can be exploited by hackers to move between computer systems at critical infrastructure facilities.

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