After remaking their security procedures following the 9/11 attacks to stop airline hijackings, carriers are now faced with rising threats targeting computers and electronic equipment critical to their operations and safety.
Since the tragedy 20 years ago on Saturday, airlines and airports have fortified cockpits, barred sharp objects in carry-on luggage and improved technology to detect explosives.
“We are more secure,” said Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association.
Many of today’s security risks are now viewed as targeting the networks and hardware planes and airlines rely on.
From the gradual shift to electronic tickets to the management of jet fuel, even more aspects of aviation go through digital channels now than they did two decades ago.
“We must stay ahead of emerging security threats,” Walsh said. “To do this effectively, we need to take a more integrated approach on things like cyber risks, drones, and insider threats.”
– New entry points –
Beyond new airline security rules mandated by governments worldwide, security experts say potential hijackers face an additional challenge: other passengers.
“Because of 9/11, if you’re sitting in the…
