Community Corner
Cybersecurity Research Continues With FAA Grant
Astronautics Corporation of America received additional research and development funding from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
OAK CREEK,WI— Astronautics Corporation of America received additional research and development funding from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to execute the second major phase of its Aircraft Systems Information Security/Protection risk assessment contract, according to a media release Thursday.
The contract for this portion of Phase 2 includes operational activities consistent with
earlier research, including advanced studies of air-ground communications in order to identify
vulnerabilities and propose mitigations, a spokesperson told Patch.
Astronautics—a member of the Cyber Safety - Commercial Aviation Team (CS-
CAT)—will present information to and acquire feedback from CS-CAT that may be included in
the final assessment report being prepared for the FAA.
Find out what's happening in Oak Creekfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
CS-CAT is an organization committed to advancing safety in the National Airspace System through a proactive approach that focuses on identifying risk and implementing cost-effective mitigation strategies before cyber-attacks occur.
“Astronautics is an expert in air-ground communications and connectivity for aircraft,”
explained David Jones, Astronautics’ manager of avionics security assurance. “Our
cybersecurity team will use this air-ground communications expertise to conduct in-depth studies in order to find risks and propose actions to address them.”
Find out what's happening in Oak Creekfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“Astronautics has been at the forefront of cybersecurity research and knows the importance
of security for our customers. We are committed to continuing to work with the FAA to begin a
practical phase for using the developed cybersecurity risk assessment methodology,” said
Astronautics President Chad Cundiff.
2 FAA Cybersecurity Contract
During Phase 1 of the ASISP program, Astronautics established one methodology that
identified and categorized potential aircraft security risks to critical avionics systems; then
identified and evaluated mitigation alternatives for these risks. In the beginning of Phase 2,
Astronautics—working with industry colleagues—ran security risk assessments (SRA) to
determine the effectiveness of the methodology and refine the methodology as necessary.
# # #
About Astronautics
Astronautics Corporation of America, headquartered in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, is a
global leader in the design, development, and manufacture of secure avionics equipment and
systems for the commercial and military aerospace industry. Key product areas include
electronic primary flight and engine displays, connected aircraft and cyber solutions, electronic
flight bags, and certified servers for airborne applications. Services include avionics system
integration and custom software for critical applications. Since its founding in 1959, Astronautics
has been providing trusted, reliable, and tailored solutions to help clients achieve mission
success. Astronautics is the parent company of Kearfott Corporation, headquartered in
Woodland Park, New Jersey. For more: www.astronautics.com.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.