industry unlocked
Nitha Rachel Suresh, Cyber
Security Consultant at Synopsys
The aviation sector is not immune to cyber-risk
and, if successful, a cyberattack could have
fatal consequences. We look at how airlines
are utilising biometric technology to enhance
security while Nitha Rachel Suresh, Cyber
Security Consultant at Synopsys, discusses
some of the challenges faced by the industry
and how they can be overcome.
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Airlines and airports are investing to deliver
secure and easy travel for passengers, with
biometric technology a key priority.
This is according to research released by global
IT provider SITA. The SITA 2018 Air Transport
IT Insights show how biometrics are being
incorporated into the evolution of self-service at
the world’s airports.
Over the next three years, 77% of airports and
71% airlines are planning major programmes or
research and design in biometric ID management.
Barbara Dalibard, CEO, SITA, said: “Secure and
seamless travel is a must for the air transport
industry. It is encouraging to see that both airlines
and airports are investing in biometric technology
to deliver a secure, paperless way to identify
passengers across multiple steps of the journey.
We have already seen great success where we
have implemented it at airports across the world.
“As the research shows, integration causes
challenges and the variety of legislative demands
can be daunting for airlines and airports. To
deliver a seamless passenger experience,
we must all collaborate – airlines, airports,
governments and industry suppliers – and use
technology to automate, and even eliminate,
tedious processes. We achieve the best results
when we work together, this has been most
apparent when we incorporate secure biometrics
into the passenger journey.”
SITA already delivers identity management
solutions, including biometric systems,
that eliminate the need for manual
checks. These improve the passenger
experience while helping airlines and
airports across the world meet the
variety of regulations from governments
and border agencies. The most common
of these is identity verification at self-
service check-in kiosks. This is already
in use at 41% of airports and 74% have
plans to deploy the technology by the
end of 2021. Self-boarding gates using
biometrics with ID documentation, such
as a passport, are also set to become
commonplace over the next three years,
with 59% of airports and 63% of airlines
expecting to use them.
Aviation security challenges that
could cause more than just a
bumpy ride if overlooked
Nitha Rachel Suresh, Cyber Security
Consultant at Synopsys, explores
some of the key aviation security
challenges and how to address them
to move proactively towards a more
secure future.
The aviation industry isn’t any more
immune to critical cybersecurity risks
than any other industry. That’s rather
unsettling when you consider what the
implications of a malicious attack on an
aeroplane full of people could mean.
Sure, it may sound far-fetched to imagine
an aeroplane’s highly complex systems
Issue 08
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