Dual-Use Military and Civil Airports Face Cyber Threats

SCADA infrastructure is always a risk

In a major conflict with China, the U.S. would have to move tens of thousands of troops—not to mention vehicles and aircraft—quickly to ports and airports for deployment to the Pacific. The sheer scale would require the military to rely on civilian aviation, explained retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, the director of CSC 2.0, a nonprofit that continues the work of the congressionally chartered Cyberspace Solarium Commission. This reliance makes the civil aviation system a potential target for an enemy sneak attack. “U.S. adversaries know that compromising this critical infrastructure through cyber and physical attacks would impede America’s ability to deploy, supply, and sustain large forces,” a recent report from CSC 2.0 warns.