The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) will release its decision paper “A Framework for Aviation Cybersecurity” on August 13 as part of the AIAA AVIATION 2013 conference, being held August 11–13 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Los Angeles, Calif.

“A Framework for Aviation Cybersecurity” outlines the existing and evolving cyber threat to the world’s $2.2 trillion commercial aviation enterprise, and notes the lack of international agreement on cybersecurity as it relates to aviation. It stresses the need for the world’s aviation community to establish a cohesive cybersecurity regime, in particular by: establishing a single framework for cybersecurity throughout the ecosystem; fostering a cybersecurity culture; reaching a unified understanding of the threats and the risks they pose; establishing a protocol for communicating the threats and building enhanced situational awareness throughout the aviation enterprise; strengthening defensive systems and defining design and operational principles for them; providing cohesive situational response; identifying and developing ongoing research and development priorities; and building a culture of unified collaboration and cooperation between governments and private entities.

“The global aviation system is a very complex and integrated system. As dependence on this system increases, it also becomes a target for those seeking to disrupt the industry and the global economy,” said AIAA President-Elect Jim Albaugh. “It is my hope that the world’s aviation community implements the framework proposed in this paper, to better safeguard and ensure the future of aviation. Only a vigilant, unified, and coordinated approach will allow us to craft the best possible defenses against the sophisticated and ever-evolving range of threats we face.”

To download a preview of AIAA’s decision paper “A Framework for Aviation Cybersecurity” please visit www.aiaa.org/AviationCybersecurity/. Copies of the complete report will be made available on site to participants in the AIAA AVIATION 2013 conference, and may also be downloaded from the AIAA website beginning on August 13 at 8:00 p.m. EDT. For further information on the paper or its recommendations, please contact Steve Howell, AIAA Government Relations, at steveh@aiaa.org or 703.264.7625. For more information on AIAA AVIATION 2013, please visit www.aiaa.org/aviation2013 or contact Duane Hyland at 703.264.7558 or duaneh@aiaa.org. Conference admission is complimentary for credentialed members of the media.

AIAA is the world’s largest technical society dedicated to the global aerospace profession. With more than 35,000 individual members worldwide, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visitwww.aiaa.org.