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Airport Security Codes Stolen From Japanese Pilot
John Stith
Staff Writer
2005-12-12
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Japanese Airlines (JAL) reported one of their co-pilots had restricted codes stolen from his laptop computer via a computer virus. In a move worthy of the best laxatives, the pilot compromised security for a number of Japanese airports as all the codes were promptly posted to the Internet.
The story surfaced in Japan last week as 17 different codes appeared on internet bulletin boards after they'd been swiped from a 29-year-old copilot had stored the codes on his laptop. He caught a virus on the computer from a p2p download. The gentleman had been using the computer at home. JAL said they prohibit ground staff members from taking work related info out of their offices. The problem is pilots generally are considered ground staff.
The information included codes to some of Japan's largest airports including Narita and Haneda as well as Guam International. Japan's largest airline requested all the affected airports change the appropriate three-to-five digit codes.
Also in the mix was instruction manual for a Boeing 767 aircraft, the type the co-pilot flew. While JAL warned airports to tighten security, the instructions to the 767 may have been more of a problem. It's difficult to gauge the possible utility of the manual.
Regardless, this marks a major security breach. It demonstrates how seemingly minor carelessness could potentially be devastating in the right situation. How this will affect security in the U.S. and nations tied to Japan remains unclear.
About the Author:
John is a staff writer for SecurityProNews covering cyber security.
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