> As an example, Hypponen said he had recently spoken to a European aircraft maker that said it cleans the cockpits of its planes every week of malware designed for Android phones. The malware spread to the planes only because factory employees were charging their phones with the USB port in the cockpit.
> Because the plane runs a different operating system, nothing would befall it. But it would pass the virus on to other devices that plugged into the charger.
That's just...not how computers work.
But if the claim is that the virus lie 'dormant' in the uninfectable plane OS, then I can't understand that.
Edit: corrected it's its
I think you added an apostrophe by accident, or the poster corrected the mistake.
If the USB chargers in cockpits are any more complex than the above, why?
No idea how the rest of the exploit would work in this scenario though, I have a hard time believing it.
So the virus would have to infect both android and the cockpit to spread from phone to cockpit to phone.
Not saying that's how it happened, just that it's possible.
[1] https://srlabs.de/badusb/ [2] http://www.wired.com/2014/07/usb-security/
They claim it is happening.
Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner passenger jet may have a serious security vulnerability in its onboard computer networks that could allow passengers to access the plane's control systems, according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.
The computer network in the Dreamliner's passenger compartment, designed to give passengers in-flight internet access, is connected to the plane's control, navigation and communication systems, an FAA report reveals.
Boeing spokeswoman Lori Gunter wouldn't go into detail about how Boeing is tackling the issue but says it is employing a combination of solutions that involves some physical separation of the networks, known as "air gaps," and software firewalls. Gunter also mentioned other technical solutions, which she said are proprietary and didn't want to discuss in public.
"There are places where the networks are not touching, and there are places where they are," she said.
More politely put, I see no obligation on employers to provide employees with the means to recharge their personal phones :)
This is a classic "design a better human" problem - sure, you can try to 'persuade' people by threatening them with demotions, suspensions and unemployment. And then you can hope that this will work in every single instance. Or ... you can provide a few usb ports in a convenient location, so people use these instead of the usb port in your multi million dollar cockpit to charge their phones. Take your pick.
For another example decide if it's easier to provide waste bins or to threaten people who litter streets.
Why would they NOT do this, under your system? If I can plug my phone in right where I am, in the cockpit, or somewhere less convenient for me, why would I not just do it where I am, in the cockpit? There are no penalties for it, so why wouldn't I do it?