The Boeing Company

Daniel D Nguyen

Timothy McNally Mitchell

Jason Wayne Shelton

Michael R Vanguardia

Adonis X Williams

Marissa A Nishimoto

Hai D Ho

Brian Schultz

Robert F Huber

Phu Le

Carl Chihak

George C Chang

Thomas E Eggerding

Alecsander Brian Clairmont

Steven Im

Adrian D Pirvu

Michael Robert Vanguardia

Jason W Shelton

Adonis Williams

Mapping of an avionic network is obfuscated by interposing a network module between an external-access node and a bus of an avionics network. First and second network maps are generated and loaded on the network module. The network map accessible to the external-access node is changed from the first network map to the second network map, to disrupt any reconnaissance of the avionics network.

Aircraft network cybersecurity apparatus and methods

A computer-implemented method includes: receiving, by an authentication device, from a client device and via a network device, a plurality of passcode packets as part of a request to be authenticated by the authentication device; recording, by the authentication device, a sequence of port identifiers corresponding to respective ports of the network device via which the plurality of passcode packets are received; and authenticating, by the authentication device, the client device based on the sequence of port identifiers.

Authenticating computing devices based on a dynamic port punching sequence

A testing device includes a first interface device configured to enable communication with a first component of a vehicle and a second interface device configured to enable communication with a second component of the vehicle. The testing device includes a test module storage configured to store one or more test modules and also includes a user interface and a test controller. The test controller is responsive to the user interface to select a test module from the test module storage and to cause the first interface device to communicate first test data to the first component of the vehicle and to cause the second interface device to communicate second test data to the second component of the vehicle to perform a vulnerability test associated with the selected test module.

Vehicle vulnerability testing

A vehicle network system is configured to detect unauthorized intrusions by a passenger-owned device, and to identify the passenger-owned device based at least in part on stored information representative of network communications. The vehicle network system can be further configured to determine a position of the intruding passenger-owned device within a passenger area of the vehicle and to obtain a name and/or camera image of a passenger associated with the device. The position of the intruding device can be identified based at least in part on communications between the intruding device and one or more network-access devices distributed throughout the passenger area.

Systems and methods for relating network intrusions to passenger-owned devices

Systems for and methods of securely communicating between a ground station and an aircraft are presented. The communications are among a plurality of nodes, including a ground based node and a plurality of aircraft based nodes. Each node stores at least a respective portion of a blockchain representing interactions among at least some of the nodes. Control nodes may initiate a privileged network action by: broadcasting to the plurality of control nodes a blockchain record representing the privileged network action, receiving from control nodes a plurality of votes representing validation results of the privileged network action, determining that a consensus from the control node votes indicates that the privileged action is permissible, and publishing to respective blockchain portions of each of the plurality of nodes a derivation of the blockchain record representing the privileged action, where the system implements the privileged action based on the determining.

Blockchain fortified aircraft communications addressing and reporting system (ACARS) communication

This disclosure relates to updating information in devices of remote systems over a network. A method includes receiving, via a first switch, a first selection. The method also includes activating, based on the first selection, a data partition in a storage device corresponding to the first device. The method further includes deactivating based on the first selection, data partitions in the storage device corresponding to non-selected devices. Additionally, the method includes storing information in the data partition corresponding to the first device. Moreover, the method includes receiving, via a second switch, a second selection. The method also includes determining that the first selection matches the second selection. The method further includes retrieving, based on the determining, the information from said activated data partition. Additionally, the method includes providing the retrieved information to a first device that corresponds to the first selection and the second selection.

Aircraft control domain communication framework

A method and system for providing medical assistance onboard an aircraft is provided. A number of secure wireless connections are established between an onboard device located on the aircraft and a remote device located remotely with respect to the aircraft, to enable communications between a device operator using the onboard device and a medical professional using the remote device. Information about a medical event that occurs onboard the aircraft is sent from the onboard device to the remote device using the number of secure wireless connections. A medical assessment of the medical event by the medical professional is received at the onboard device from the remote device over the number of secure wireless connections.

Aircraft medical management system

Provided are methods and systems for multiband wireless data transmission between aircraft and ground systems. The transmission uses different wavelength ranges, each wavelength range corresponding to a different data domain and establishing a different communication channel. This wavelength differentiation provides physical separation between different data domains and, as a result, improves data security. Furthermore, a single broadband antenna is used on the exterior of the aircraft for transmitting data sets from different data domains. The single antenna configuration reduces drag and weight and improves structural integrity of the aircraft in comparison to multi-antenna configurations. Different aircraft communication modules, which are connected to different aircraft systems, handle different data domains and operate at different wavelength ranges. These modules are connected to the same antenna using a multiplexer. This connection may be controlled using gate devices and may be conditioned on verification of communication channel availability, security status, and other factors.

Multiband wireless data transmission between aircraft and ground systems based on availability of the ground systems

A system for evaluating a cyber-attack on an aircraft may include a display associated with the aircraft, a sensor system configured to generate sensor data for a pilot, and a data processing system configured to: (1) generate simulation data, (2) generate a flight simulation from the simulation data, (3) simulate the cyber-attack on at least one aircraft system during the flight simulation, (4) generate virtual flight data during the flight simulation, and (5) present the sensor data and the virtual flight data.

System and method for evaluating cyber-attacks on aircraft

A system includes a transmitting line replaceable unit (TLRU) configured to receive messages including instructions for avionics receiving line replaceable units (RLRUs). The system further includes a memory configured to store validation data including a set of expected messages. A monitor is further included and is configured to monitor messages received at the TLRU and further configured to determine whether received messages are valid based on at least a portion of the set of expected messages stored in the memory. A plurality of RLRUs are further included and configured to receive message from the TLRU and to execute the instructions included in the received messages.

Aeronautical message monitor

The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for encrypting data. The disclosed techniques can include tracking a plurality of flight parameter values for a plurality of flight parameters of an aircraft, generating a first cryptographic key from the plurality of flight parameter values, encrypting plaintext using the first cryptographic key to generate a first ciphertext, and sending, from a sender to a receiver, a message comprising the first ciphertext.

Lightweight cyber secure bi-directional aircraft communications addressing and reporting system (ACARS) transmission

An aircraft includes an aircraft network having nodes and links and a sandbox network in communication with the aircraft network. The sandbox network simulates the aircraft network and includes sandbox nodes corresponding to the nodes of the aircraft network, a first set of sandbox links corresponding to the links of the aircraft network, and a second set of sandbox links providing communication between sandbox nodes not in communication via the first set of sandbox links. Computer executable instructions, when executed, perform the steps of: generating network traffic over the sandbox network such that the sandbox network models a behavior of the aircraft network; identifying a suspicious activity on the aircraft network; routing the suspicious activity from the aircraft network to the sandbox network; and analyzing the suspicious activity as the suspicious activity traverses through the sandbox network.

Method for analyzing suspicious activity on an aircraft network

A cyber-attack scenario simulation system and method may include an aircraft simulator operable to generate an aircraft simulation, a cyber-attack generator operable to generate a cyber-attack simulation, a cyber defense generator operable to generate a cyber defense simulation, a scenario generator operable to generate a cyber-attack scenario including the cyber attack simulation and the cyber defense simulation and launch the cyber-attack scenario against the aircraft simulation, and a cyber-attack scenario analysis tool operable to assess an impact of the cyber-attack scenario on the aircraft simulation.

System and method for developing a cyber-attack scenario

An inline ARINC data authenticity inspection module, method and computer program product are provided. In the context of a method, ARINC data that is transmitted via an ARINC bus is received into a buffer partition. The method also includes inspecting the ARINC data from the buffer partition within an inspection partition. The method further includes determining, as a result of having inspected the ARINC data within the inspection partition, whether the ARINC data is authentic. In an instance in which the ARINC data is determined to not be authentic, the method logs receipt of the ARINC data that is determined to not be authentic. However, in an instance in which the ARINC data is determined to be authentic, the method permits data corresponding to the ARINC data to be transmitted to an intended destination.

Growing community of inventors

Chicago, IL, United States of America

Daniel D Nguyen