Seven Indian Airports Hit by Cyber Attacks, Flights Safe Says Govt
Seven major Indian airports targeted by cyber attacks. GPS spoofing reported, but flights continued safely. Govt increases cybersecurity vigilance.
image for illustrative purpose
The central authority of the country has disclosed that there were hacking attempts at seven important airports in India, which made the authorities more alert in the main air travel centers. The events were linked with different technical issues, such as changing the aerial navigation system, which at first caused worries about the safety of the flights.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu mentioned in Parliament that certain flights that were coming to the nearby airports reported GPS spoofing, especially during the landings at Runway 10 of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. The government recognized the cyberattacks to be in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru airports.
It was claimed that the attacks took advantage of GPS signals leading the aircraft's navigation systems to the wrong places and altitudes. The GPS spoofing process emits false signals, which might lead to mistakes in the aircraft's guidance systems. Yet, according to the government, no flight operations were either delayed or canceled. Air traffic control systems still worked well, as they were supported by the contingency protocols.
Although flights were not disrupted, officials of the government pointed out that the incidents had shown the weaknesses in India's aviation cybersecurity infrastructure. The airports targeted by the hackers are observing increased security measures and are thus protected against any future attempts. The Ministry of Civil Aviation, along with a range of agencies, is on high alert monitoring the situation closely for uninterrupted air traffic and, meanwhile, deploying extra countermeasures.
The affirmance comes after another technical problem at Delhi airport in November, which, at first, had given rise to suspicions of a cyber attack but was later found to be due to a fault in the Automatic Message Switching System (AMSS).
A global software-related problem that affected Airbus A320 aircraft, mainly used in India for domestic and regional flights, was the cause of the cyber attack. India saw nearly 388 flights disrupted on Saturday as airlines performed software updates and the full resumption of commercial flights took place by Sunday. The impact of the A320's workhorse status in domestic aviation is a clear indication of the potential ripple effects of technical or cyber-related disruptions.
Security forces are still advising caution and stressing the importance of strong security measures in the aviation sector as the air traffic and the sophistication of technological systems grow.
