Although cybersecurity and data protection are two different terms, the latter can be understood as a subset of the former. Cybersecurity encompasses all the vigilant measures to protect computer systems against threats, while data protection has its locus on safeguarding data integrity and privacy, which is one of the most important goals for cybersecurity.
The aviation industry, in general, has an extreme requirement for cybersecurity and data protection, upheld by strict local and international regulations in both commercial and military sectors such as EDU-GDPR, SOC 2, PCI, and more. This responsibility to meet industry cyber security compliance standards is also coupled with a duty to protect clients’ and partners’ data, as a result, safeguarding the digital ecosystem remains a constant challenge for every organization in the supply chain.
When it comes to aviation security threats, there are a variety of risks, both internally and externally in origin. Although largely depending on corrupt motives, in most cases internal risks compromise intellectual property data (e.g IETM/IETP) while external risk endangers the private data of end-users in the system.
Internal risks or threats are often tied with the internal mishandling of intellectual property data, due to either negligence or ill intent, it is a well-known fact that common end-users cannot be relied on to safeguard data. Users are rarely voluntarily cooperative with cybersecurity instructions unless they are subjected to a certain amount of accountability for data mismanagement.
Nevertheless, user mistakes remain one of the top causes of data compliance issues such as breaches or unauthorized modifications. (e.g. accidentally deleting a critical data module servicing an airworthy part). Certain user mistakes such as data overwriting can lead to information misrepresentation, which can gravely compromise operations.
External risks are cyberattacks coming from the outside with the intent to steal data or jeopardize systems, threats which can also be enabled by internal negligence. With the rise of wifi-connected personal devices and portable EFBs in aviation, risks of malicious cyber attacks can hardly be ruled out, as attacks can be advanced via the low-security networks of public locations (airports) frequently visited by EFB operators such as pilots.
External risks are great concerns for aviation organizations because they can be much harder to predict, manage and prepare pre-emptive tactics against. Incentives for attacks vary from simple boredom to corporate espionage. Some of those hackers aiming at high-profile aviation companies can be funded and backed by a state.
With contemporary digital transformation, aviation technical documentation data is becoming more and more digital and fragmented in its data module form. End-users are also using more electronic devices to access aviation data than ever. This indicates cybersecurity and data-related vulnerability is extremely high. Thus, organizations and solution providers must acknowledge the following: apply and enforce the best security practices, technologies and measures when using technology to exchange sensitive IETM/IETP and user data.
To approach IETM/IETP data security, first, it is key to understand the three main facets of security – Encryption, which concerns the confidentiality of data, Access control & Authorization, which concerns access to data, and Authentication, which concerns identity verification of parties who have access to data.
Under Identity and Access Management (IAM) practices, Access Authorization and Authentication are utilized by organizations to control user access and identity, while Encryption processes work in the background to encrypt the data at rest and transit. All of these security components work in synchronicity to secure data from any undesirable breaching accidents or malicious cyber attacks.
The three facets of security
Encryptions:
Encryptions are cryptographical technical implementations used to encode the data (e.g. plain text) into ciphertext, permitting only authorized individuals and business units to decrypt and interpret the original data in plain text using a special key.
The main goal of encryption is to prevent data breaches in their original form of plain text. In the context of aviation cybersecurity, encryption is needed to render technical data such as digital manuals, and private user information/credentials indecipherable to non-authorized parties such as cyber thieves.
Encryption technologies and applications are vast and complicated, though there are two main types of encryption – symmetrical and asymmetrical. Symmetric encryption requires the same key for both encrypting and decrypting while asymmetrical encryption requires different keys. The former is faster and the latter is more secure.
One of the gold standards for secure information exchange is end-to-end encryption (E2EE) – an encryption process that can prevent any third parties other than the sender and recipient from interpreting the data. In an E2EE system, data is encrypted at rest and in transit, and will only be decrypted when it reaches the device of the recipient.
Of course, organizations must always enforce strong password rules for all users.
Access control & Authorization:
As the terms imply, these are the configuration techniques for controlling user access privileges to sensitive data and other corporate resources, with the main goal to prevent misuse and mishandling of data (accidental overwrite, unauthorized modification, etc.) Authorization and Access Control manages what each verified identity is allowed to do and see.
Access control and Authorization are key in the context of exchanging IETM/IETP data. To safeguard data integrity, each user in the system must be assigned their respective privileges and roles on a fine granular level. With Customized Permissions, admins can configure what a user can see, do, or perform – restricting privileges to only what is required and allowed for that certain identity. Certain systems may allow configuring access per fleet and device. In fact, the more multi-layered, fine-grained access authorization is allowed, the higher level of security and protection can be achieved for data.
Authentication:
Authentication is simply the process of verifying user identities. Although authentication can be as simple as using usernames and passwords, the overall security standard for verification has increased due to cyber-attacks and bots. However, modern technologies have allowed faster autonomous verification, less manual retyping of credentials, and overall more security. Identity verification is a mandatory process preceding Access control & Authorization
Encryption also often works in conjunction with Authentication to secure private credentials. (E.g. password hashing – storing passwords as hashes instead of plain text)
Applications and technologies of authentication:
- Single Sign-on: this verification scheme allows users to log in to several related software systems with “one key” or a single ID. It is the typical authentication scheme for a federated identity system such as an IETM/IETP suite of applications.
- Two-factor authentication (2FA): a verification system that requires two factors to verify identity whether it is a password, a secret text, email, or a biometric scan.
NIVOMAX Suite – Why choose IETM/IETP solutions that prioritize the security of your mission-critical infrastructure.
Any collaboration platform of interactive electronic documentation should have robust capabilities for Encryption, Access Authorization, and Authentication, allowing a secure environment for organizations to collaborate on, exchange and use sensitive technical data and content.
As one of the first user-centric IETM/IETP solutions, NIVOMAX Suite is engineered with various security features and capabilities to allow seamless verification and access authorization not just within a company, but across different organizations. By offering admins tools to proactively secure the exchanges of the data, NIVOMAX can facilitate cross-organizational collaboration while minimizing worries of data regulation compliance. The data security components of NIVOMAX are also engineered to accommodate a massive aviation user base with fast Access Authorization and autonomous user Verification.
When accessing any component of the NIVOMAX Suite, users must first verify themselves via Single-Sign-On. Upon signing in, the system will check a user’s roles and privileges, determining which data and resources a user can access and have visibility to. Through the NIVOMAX Self-serve portal, admins can configure access cross-organizationally to a fine grain level, allowing access authorization and role delegation per user, fleet, and device. Encryption processes run in the background to keep data confidential in real-time. The several layers of security across the NIVOMAX platform are designed to be as seamless and autonomous as possible, reducing interference with the core experience of viewing and interacting with the content.
As a pioneer in building highly secure IT solutions for aviation, SYNAXIOM does not stop at the best cybersecurity practices of the industry, but proactively applies systematic audits and improvements to keep NIVOMAX secure for any emerging system and data risks. At SYNAXIOM, data security and protection are paramount, and the company is committed to creating a highly guarded digital environment for organizations within the aviation supply chain to exchange IETM/IETP data while staying compliant with strict requirements and regulations.