Controller⁻Pilot Data Link Communication Security

Area of Science:

• Aviation Cybersecurity
• Air Traffic Management Systems
• Network Security

Background:

• Controller-Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) are increasingly used in aviation.
• This rise in utilization elevates the risk of cyber threats like hacking and interference.
• Existing security measures may be insufficient against sophisticated cyber-attacks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the technological characteristics and properties of CPDLC.
• To construct a threat model for CPDLC in air traffic management (ATM).
• To propose and evaluate security solutions for enhancing data messaging communication security.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of CPDLC technological characteristics and properties.
• Development of a comprehensive threat model for CPDLC systems.
• Evaluation of potential countermeasures such as Elliptical Curve Cryptography (ECC), Protected Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting Systems (PACARs), and Host Identity Protocol (HIP).

Main Results:

• Identified specific vulnerabilities and threat vectors associated with CPDLC.
• Assessed the feasibility and limitations of ECC, PACARs, and HIP as security solutions.
• Highlighted Identity-Defined Networking (IDN) as a potential holistic security framework.

Conclusions:

• CPDLC presents significant cybersecurity challenges in modern air traffic management.
• A multi-faceted approach combining cryptographic methods and network-level solutions is necessary.
• Implementing advanced solutions like IDN could provide robust security but requires systemic changes.