Australia Investigates ADS-B Hacker Susceptibility

Meanwhile, ADS-B is also being used in Australia, a place similar to Alaska in its dependence on small aircraft for transport across huge, empty areas. But Dick Smith, a prominent businessman and former chairman of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, has raised questions about the security of the system. Smith said that a hacker using inexpensive gear could create false aircraft returns to appear on a controller’s screen, creating “total chaos in the air traffic control system,” The Australian reported on Tuesday. Smith said he learned about the susceptibility from FAA officials. FAA spokeswoman Tammy Jones told AVweb on Tuesday that the Washington office had given out no such information. Transport Minister Warren Truss recently met with Smith, and a spokeswoman told The Australian that his concerns are “being considered” and “and we would point out that no decision about [expanding] ADS-B has been made, nor is a decision imminent.”