DOT Inspector General Auditing ADS-B Security

The Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General (IG) announced on January 23 that it is initiating an audit of the FAA’s ADS-B “information security controls.” While some concerns about insecurity of ADS-B signals have surfaced, it is not known if these concerns drove the decision to require the audit. The audit itself stems from a requirement in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012. In addition to “an assessment of how security issues are being addressed in the overall design and implementation of the ADS-B system,” the act also has a detailed list of ADS-B issues that the IG must examine. These include: assessing benefits and whether ground radar will be retained; cost-benefits to operators for both ADS-B in and out; ADS-B infrastructure contractor assessments; workforce effects; and a slew of rulemaking mandates covering ADS-B in technology, which thus far hasn’t been subject to regulation.