Connected aircraft, digital avionics, and integrated ground systems are transforming commercial aviation while expanding its exposure to cyber threats. The 2025 ransomware attack that disrupted European airport operations, along with rising GNSS jamming and spoofing, highlights the vulnerability of increasingly interconnected aviation systems.
With EASA’s Part-IS cybersecurity requirements now in force, manufacturers, airlines, and suppliers face mounting pressure to protect critical systems throughout their operational lives.
In this Technology Insight, five leading experts examine the state of aviation cybersecurity, the barriers to securing connected systems, and how cyber resilience could evolve over the next ten years.
Key questions explored:
- How mature is cybersecurity across commercial aviation today, and where are the most significant risks emerging as aircraft and aviation systems become more connected?
- What technical, organizational, and regulatory barriers are most significant to securing modern aircraft and aviation systems, and which will be hardest to overcome?
- Which cybersecurity architectures, technologies, and engineering approaches are proving most effective in protecting connected aircraft, avionics, and aviation infrastructure?
- How must cybersecurity engineering, testing, and certification evolve to protect increasingly software-intensive aircraft and maintain security throughout their operational lives?
- Looking ten years ahead, how will advances in AI, connectivity, and emerging cyber threats reshape cybersecurity and resilience across aircraft and the wider aviation ecosystem?