The American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) has expressed concern about the lack of an international agreement on tackling the cybersecurity threat to commercial aviation around the world. The group gave the warning in a new white paper published on August 13 called A Framework for Aviation Cybersecurity.

“As dependence on this [aviation] system increases, it becomes a target for those seeking to disrupt the industry and the global economy,” said AIAA president-elect Jim Albaugh. “The impacts of an attack on our national air transportation system would be felt far beyond the aerospace industry, and solutions must take those interests into account.”

The paper stresses the need to establish a single framework for aviation cybersecurity that includes input from both the private and government sectors to create a foolproof method of not only communicating system threats, but also developing cohesive responses as those threats occur.

Albaugh said the association hopes also to enlist help from cyber-threat experts outside the aviation industry to establish new policies.