Nexteon Completes First Commercial Aviation Cyberattack Detection Flight Test

Ambler-based Nexteon announced Monday that it had completed the first in-flight test simulating a cyberattack on an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) equipped aircraft.

The 30-minute flight test, conducted with the assistance of the Federal Aviation Administration and other industry partners, identified and generated alerts of spoofed ADS-B signals.

“This has been an incredible success for Nexteon and a validation of the technology,” Rob Kaimowitz, CEO of Nexteon Technologies, said. “We have made great progress, and reaching this milestone was a collaborative effort that would not have been possible without our government and industry partners.”

Conducted on July 26 in the Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) by a team that included Nexteon’s industry partners SeRo Systems, The Innovation Laboratory and DragoonITCN, the test used the FAA’s patented Virtual Target Generator (VTG) test tool to intentionally create and transmit a series of inaccurate position reports in the aircraft’s ADS-B Out signal. The SeRo advanced surveillance technology detected the spoofed signal and displayed alerts to the ground analysis team for the duration of the simulated attack.

“We are all proud of this accomplishment, and I would like to thank the flight test team and all of our employees for their dedication and commitment to Nexteon’s vision. They have proven that this technology is an enabler that will deliver cybersecure, precise and GPS-resilient tracking and monitoring data that can help optimize the global airspace,” Kaimowitz added.