Onboard flight operations could be breached by a passenger on a flight simply by hacking into the in-flight Wi-Fi, a team of security experts warned.
A Government Accountability Office report has recorded the views of security experts who say aircraft security certification standards need to be beefed up.
They said if an in-flight Wi-Fi system shares the same router as the aircraft’s main avionics system which controls aircraft functions, a passenger could potentially gain control of the plane via a laptop.
"FAA must focus on aircraft certification standards that would prevent a terrorist with a laptop in the cabin or on the ground from taking control of an airplane through the passenger Wi-Fi system," said Peter DeFazio, a member of the House Transportation Committee.
One cybersecurity expert told officials at the GAO that a virus could be planted in specific websites visited by passengers during a flight which could then access the main flight deck computer systems through infected machines.
The increased use of smartphones and tablets in the cockpit also increases the risk of devices becoming infected unwittingly by a crew member.
The FAA has not issued industry wide certification standards relating to in-flight cybersecurity but has powers to issue special rules for specific risks.
The agency also set up a steering committee in 2013 to look at aviation cybersecurity risks.
