Boeing has reached agreement with the US FAA, providing the required documentation, analysis, and demonstrations to show compliance with the FAA’s “special conditions report” on the potential for “security vulnerabilities” associated with the Boeing 787 onboard network.

The FAA sought to rule out any “intentional or unintentional corruption of data and systems critical to the safety and maintenance of the B787 airplane.”

The “special conditions report” cited the B787’s onboard network, which “allows new kinds of passenger connectivity to previously isolated data networks connected to systems that perform functions required for the safe operation of the airplane.”

The FAA stressed that “special conditions” are written for novel technologies having potential vulnerabilities not accounted for in the current regulations.

“The fact that special conditions are written does not mean a specific design (for example, the B787) is vulnerable.They mean that the current regulations aren’t adequate,” said Allen Kenitzer, FAA Manager, Communications and Media Relations.

Mackenzie Fisher, Boeing 787 Communications, said the “special conditions report” on network security for the B787 was coordinated with Boeing in advance of being published, as it is with all such reports.

“The means of compliance is already agreed to by the FAA and has been part of the 787 design from the earliest days,” Fisher said.

Appropriate hardware and software safeguards are integrated into the B787 design to ensure the integrity of its systems. Completion of the integration will occur during the flight test program.

The FAA's Kenitzer said: “We are always in constant communication and are satisfied with what they have provided.”

Boeing and the FAA would not disclose details of the protection solutions to ensure complete safety of the system.