A team comprising government and aviation experts has arrived at a preliminary agreement on proposals to improve cybersecurity in the airline industry, reports The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) quoting people close to the matter. Recommendations are expected to include installing alert systems in cockpits to warn against compromise of critical safety networks. 

A progress report on the study will be presented at a US-European safety conference, which begins today.

The panel, formed by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to protect the aviation industry from hacks, started work last summer with more than 36 members and observers including air safety regulators and aviation experts. It will submit its report with only generic recommendations to the FAA in August, but converting it into technical standards and implementation will take time, reports WSJ, citing sources.

The report is likely to be the most comprehensive one in the aviation industry’s fight against cyber attacks. They are expected to recommend a broad package of future cyber protection and increased air-worthiness requirements applying to both new and existing aircraft, including tighter restrictions on maintenance computers and electronic flight bags.

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