Cyber crime is a serious threat to
safety in the skies, aviation industry heavyweights said Wednesday,
vowing to fight the growing scourge before it causes a catastrophic
incident.
Hackers, cyber criminals and other
“terrorists” are stealing information but in a worst-case scenario could
endanger lives by tampering with airline systems.
Among the five organizations getting
together to take action against hacking are the International Air
Transport Association (IATA) and other bodies that signed a new cyber
security agreement late last week, formalizing their front against cyber
crime.
“Our common goal in developing this
agreement is to work more effectively together to establish and promote a
robust cyber security culture and strategy for the benefit of all
actors in our industry,” said Raymond Benjamin, secretary general of the
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
He added: “As technologies rapidly evolve and become more readily accessible to all, cyber threats cannot be ignored.
“This is an important new area of
aviation security concern and our global community will ensure that it
is met with a strong level of commitment and response.”
