Aviation Data Networks

Abstract

Aircraft data networks are fast becoming more of a necessity due to their support for user mobility. Many aircraft manufacturers are planning to deploy data networks within their airplanes and provide internet connectivity to their passengers. While a data network within the aircraft and passenger access to it causes some security concerns, it open up some safety enhancement opportunities. With internet connectivity within the airplane, the activity within the airplane can be monitored in real-time from the ground station. Also, using the high bandwidth satellite links, the flight critical data could be downloaded to a server in the ground station in real-time flight or periodically, thereby enabling real-time flight status monitoring. The information technology (IT) revolution, combined with people’s need to access information quickly, has resulted in the explosive growth of the Internet in the past decade. An integrated security framework requires a careful consideration of the security features of the network within an airplane. Potentially, the aircraft could consist of three kinds of networks namely passenger network, crew network and control network. The security protocol implemented must ensure a proper separation of these networks and also watch for any security protocol violations. Ill. 5, bibl. 4 (in English; summaries in Lithuanian, English and Russian).