FBI Issues Warning About In-Flight Hackers

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a warning for airlines to be on the lookout for hackers. An increasing number of airlines are offering onboard wi-fi to customer which potentially can lead to hacking.

The warning follows an onboard tweet from security expert Chris Roberts, who joked about being able to hack into a United Airlines plane's wi-fi network.

In a private industry notification posted on its website and reported by Wired magazine, the FBI advised airlines to:

report any suspicious activity involving travellers connecting unknown cables or wires to the in-flight entertainment (IFE) system

report any evidence of suspicious behaviour following a flight, such as IFE systems that show evidence of tampering or the forced removal of covers to network connection ports

report any evidence of suspicious behaviour concerning aviation wireless signals, including social media messages with threatening references to onboard network systems, automatic dependent surveillance systems (ADS-B), aircraft communications addressing and reporting systems (ACARS) and air traffic control networks

review network logs from aircraft to ensure any suspicious activity, such as network scanning or intrusion attempts, would be captured for further analysis