Earlier coverage · The live desk
GAO identifies gaps in FAA safeguards for aircraft communications
No new update in the past six hours. This story remains available for reference. Last update
Nine recommendations target risk assessment, monitoring and data protection
GAO released a report September 21 finding that the FAA had not completed risk and mitigation assessments for seven of eight reviewed spectrum-dependent systems and lacked real-time detection for some jamming, spoofing and interference threats. It also identified authentication, encryption and protocol weaknesses in aircraft messaging applications. The Department of Transportation accepted all nine recommendations on the FAA’s behalf; they remain open pending implementation. These findings concern safeguards and potential attacks, not an identified active compromise. They also do not establish that hacking caused Monday’s airport disruption, which officials attributed to an accidental fiber-line cut. This briefing covers 2026-09-20T22:08:44.372Z through 2026-09-21T22:08:44.372Z. The timestamp is Daily Federal publication metadata, not the report’s release time.
Aviation Cybersecurity: Enhanced Air Safety Requires FAA to Better Mitigate Threats to Aircraft Communications · Flights halted at US airports as watchdog warns over hacking threat · GAO issues nine open recommendations for FAA to curb spectrum-related cyber threats