FAA seeks to collaborate with industry on aviation cybersecurity research initiatives

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., 8 July 2013.Information security experts at the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in Washington are looking for private companies, colleges, and government agencies to collaborate on cybersecurity research work.

FAA officials have asked experts at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Mass., to develop a cybersecurity research and development plan for aircraft certification and the aviation community, and to help keep the redundancy of cybersecurity research activities to a minimum.

Cybersecurity topics of interest include cybersecurity control catalog research; verification and validation of cybersecurity controls research (i.e. shared facilities); audit logs, intrusion detection, intrusion prevention, and continuous monitoring research; cybersecurity personnel and organization certification research; and independent penetration testing research.

The FAA is looking for perspectives from industry, academia, and government that will provide insights into the aviation community's cybersecurity plans, and to find ways of sharing cybersecurity research data.

Organizations interested in collaborating in aviation-related cybersecurity research should email the FAA's Kevin Harnett at [email protected], and cc: the Volpe Center's Lauren Gentile at [email protected].

In email responses include the research and development areas in which you have interest. Volpe Center officials will contact those responding for more detailed information and to coordinate discussion sessions.

For questions or concerns contact Kevin Harnett by phone at 617-494-2604, by cell phone at 617-699-7086, or by email at [email protected].

More information is online at https://faaco.faa.gov/index.cfm/announcement/view/14453.