A passenger can easily gain control of an aircraft by hacking into the inflight wifi from a laptop, a team of security experts have warned.
It said that if the wifi shared the same router as the aircraft’s main avionics system, it would be simple for them to breach onboard flight operations.
The US-based team told the US Government Accountability Office that aircraft security certification standards must be beefed up.
"[The Federal Aviaition Agency] 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 claimed a virus could be planted in specific website 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 crew members unwittingly spreading a virus.
The FAA has not issued industry wide certification standards relating to inflight cybersecurity but has powers to issue special rules in the US for specific risks.
