Aviation takes on security before threats turn into reality

Enrique Bolivar

January 14, 2019

Threats arise quickly and evolve fast. Proactive security solutions that can prevent, detect and respond rapidly are crucial to the aviation industry.

Security and emergency management are high on the radar for the aviation industry. Today, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) indicate that more than 100,000 commercial flights take off and land, transporting on average 1 million people over 54,000 routes every day, and those figures are expected to double over the next 20 years. Managing and dealing with security will only be heightened as the industry continues its rapid expansion.

Airports are vast with large areas that must be secured at all times. Multiple buildings, an endless flow of people, 24/7 air traffic and the storage of goods, are only some of the considerations that aviation operators need to think about. Security solutions must provide:

• Secure and reliable communications to ensure uninterrupted service

• Situational awareness to get the right information, to the right place, at the right time

• Information sharing to coordinate actions between stakeholders

• Integration and interoperability with the airport’s Operational Control Center

The airline and airport industry are embracing new technologies such as IoT to help reduce costs, improve maintenance operations and enhance surveillance systems. While new technologies can improve operations, they can also create opportunities for new vulnerabilities.

Airports and airlines continue to be attractive targets for terrorists, cyber-attackers, insider threats, trafficking, and illegal immigration, in addition to other threats such as mass casualty incidents. According to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the industry currently receives more than 1,000 cyber-attacks per month. Cyber-attacks can include taking a network off line, interference with ground communications, business interruptions, and damage to a company’s brand, among other impacts. A cyber security strategy that provides a layered approach can protect different aspects of the network. And an up-to-date communications network with appropriate security measures will reduce the risk of successful cyber-attacks. With a Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) that leverages BOTs, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Information Systems Databases, airport authorities can create new services to improve detection and reaction, notify stakeholders of issues, and inform passengers about potential threats.

Learn more about how airport systems can provide the building blocks that help reduce the risk of threats in the aviation industry. Check out our ALE airport solutions’, or take a deeper dive into the transportation industry with our e-zine, ‘Fast Forward’.