United Airlines has banned a security researcher from flying on a flight after he tweeted that he might be able to "hack" the aircraft's systems.
According to a BBC report, Chris Roberts was due to fly from Colorado to San Francisco to speak at a security on Saturday. Earlier, he tweeted that he thought he could activate the oxygen masks on the plane.
Despite the ban imposed on him, United Airlines announced that it was confident that its flight control systems could not be compromised "through the techniques described by Mr. Roberts."
Roberts is the founder of cybersecurity firm One World Labs, which focuses on identifying vulnerabilities in IT systems and notifying companies that have them before they are exploited by hackers. He was previously removed from another United flight by the FBI, who seized his laptop and questioned him for four hours.
Roberts has given a series of media interviews in recent weeks as part of his work, discussing potential security vulnerabilities in aircraft systems. He has said that it is theoretically possible to discuss, for example, the shutting down at 35,000 feet without any indication in the cockpit.
He also told CNN that he could connect to a computer below his seat to see data from the aircraft's engines, fuel and control systems.
Asked why Roberts was banned from flying, Rahshan Johnson, a spokesman for the company, said that, based on his allegations, it was determined that it was in the best interest of customers and crew members not to allow him to fly with United.
Although he stressed that the company is confident that its systems are secure, he noted that the decision was made because his comments violate company policy and are not something that customers and crews should have to deal with.
Source: naftemporiki.gr
