This content was created by Robert Siciliano. This content was uploaded by Robert Siciliano. This is a YouTube interview-style segment titled "FBI Investigates Security Researcher who penetrated avionics systems" (uploaded May 19, 2015). It features a host (Speaker A) discussing claims by cybersecurity researcher Chris Roberts—excerpted in a clip—about accessing aircraft systems via in-flight entertainment and satellite communications. Online security expert Robert Siciliano appears as a guest, describing Roberts as a credible ethical hacker and expressing concern that connected onboard systems could expose vulnerabilities. The discussion centers on alleged avionics security risks and the airlines' responses.
Chapters
Uh, that Jeremy guy squished up against you, practically in your lap. Well, here's the strange part: he might be flying the plane. A banned cybersecurity researcher, Chris Roberts, his name, claiming that he hacked onto computer systems of multiple planes and briefly controlled them over a 3-year period. And online security expert Robert Siciliano is very worried about this. We'll get to what he said on this subject in a minute, but, um, What scares me most about it, Robert, is that he obviously found some problems and some available weaknesses. The airline industry is coming back to say, "No, he didn't." What do you think?
I actually know Chris, or I've met him, and he's the real deal. He's a top-notch security researcher. He's an ethical hacker, which means a good guy hacker. And these guys, you know, that's what they do. They look for vulnerabilities in the systems in which we use all day, every day, and there's a solid There's a chance that he did find some type of a flaw somewhere. And my guess is that airlines are all reviewing their technology to make sure that something bad doesn't happen. Yeah, they can't admit to this, right?
To admit to it would be potentially catastrophic to them and their reputation. But Chris did speak to our Ashley Webster about the discovery of plane security risks. Very recent. I want you to take a listen to this.
You know, I was frustrated. I'm sitting on an airplane. I know that there are still security risks through the in-flight entertainment and through the satellite communications. I tweeted while on a plane, probably shouldn't have been quite so blunt as I was, and obviously consequences went from there. I would argue they are downplaying the risks. I mean, we've offered to sit down with both Boeing and Airbus on numerous occasions.
Bottom line, Robert, he did it, or was able to, through something as just like an entertainment system, control the plane, or so he says. Can you really do that?
My understanding is that he did it via a simulation, not necessarily in the air. That being said—
Well, he said he did physically bank a plane, you know, get it to turn.
Yeah. Well, you know, if that's possible, it is rather frightening. The fact that all these systems are connected together, entertainment in the cockpit, would certainly cause concern for anybody getting on a plane anytime soon.
Robert, thank you very much. We have the germs and bacteria, and now guys piloting the plane from, like, seat 33B.
