What are the most effective ways to address aviation information security risks?

In my experience, you need to identify the context first. Different parts of airports have various computing complexities with varying security requirements, including IT operations dealing with customers handling their tickets, baggage, and boarding procedures. Then there are shops and third-party suppliers, and then there are OT operations that move baggage and manage the airport operations for flights. Thus, while identifying risks is essential, using more pervasive approaches beyond a single standard is vital. Assessment of cybersecurity risks must consider other standards like ISA62443, ISO27001 and NIST CSF. Airports are mission critical, hence assessing risks without considering cyber defence would leave huge gaps in cyber-security.

Securing the skies is paramount in aviation. To combat information security risks: Education: Equip your team with robust cybersecurity training to recognize threats. Robust Policies: Develop and enforce strict information security protocols. Constant Vigilance: Regularly assess vulnerabilities and stay updated on evolving threats. Collaboration: Foster industry-wide cooperation to share threat intelligence. Technology: Invest in cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions to fortify your defenses. Incident Response: Prepare for the worst with a well-defined response plan. Culture of Security: Make information security everyone's responsibility, from pilots to ground staff.

Addressing information security risks requires a deep understanding of the airport's businesses and how they use information. In my experience, risk assessment without this context creates a gap in security design that goes unnoticed until a breach occurs. Thus, the second step should be validating a security architecture and design to ensure that the airport's businesses thrive because digital information is available when needed. This validation must come from the business stakeholders, especially those who manage the airport shops, baggage operations, security operations, and flight takeoff and landing. Identifying controls and operational procedures must happen after the security architecture and design including policies, are approved.

The third step should really be establishing the controls and operational procedures that can establish and security program and have mechanisms to measure and continuously improve it when faced with changes. Foundational security controls like microsegmentation that can be adaptive to cyber attacks and can contain them on demand must be the first on the agenda to establish mission critical assurance. The controls maybe mapped to international standards like ISO27001 Annex A, CSA CCM v4, CIS 8.0 or NIST CSF 2.0

Consistent and cyclical review os very important. The policies of three years ago may no longer address the issues of today. The introduction of IoT devices change policies about bluetooth usage, and many modern strategies use simple solutions (ie, filling USB ports in on laptops with epoxy to prevent unauthorized usage). There are new industry standards related to unauthorized electronic intrusions that are worth complying with.