Cybersecurity research reveals aircraft hijacking risks and rising AI-driven threats

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have demonstrated that a custom hardware device, smaller than a coin, could allow hackers to seize control of aircraft communications in less than 60 seconds. The study shows that by connecting the device to a port on the underside of an aircraft, such as a Boeing 737, an attacker could intercept communications between the flight management computer and the cockpit display computer. This vulnerability could be exploited while the plane is parked at a gate or in a hangar.

Separately, a global study by Bitdefender reveals that artificial intelligence is increasingly being used as a weapon in cyberattacks. Approximately 59% of surveyed organizations reported being targeted by AI-assisted social engineering attacks in the last 12 months. IT security experts identified autonomous cyber threats, which use AI to automatically alter code, as a high or extreme risk for 56% of respondents. Other major concerns include sensitive data leaks to public large language models and the use of deepfakes or voice cloning for business email fraud.