The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has ordered airlines to boost cybersecurity to counter hackers using AI following a global passenger data leak from Amadeus. It confirmed Thailand's air traffic control system is a closed, highly secure system.
Air Chief Marshal Manat Chuwanaprayoon, Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT). He revealed that the cyberattack and data breach involving Amadeus, a provider of airline ticketing systems used by some Thai airlines, affected not only Thai airlines or those in Thailand but customers of Amadeus worldwide. The leaked data included passenger information such as booking reference numbers and personal details. However, it remains unclear how the hackers intend to use the stolen data, so damage assessment is not yet possible. Affected Thai airlines must work with Amadeus to find protective measures going forward.
Air Chief Marshal Manat stated that CAAT has implemented full precautionary measures to prevent attacks or hacks on aviation data under its supervision. He emphasized that airlines have been instructed to upgrade their cybersecurity systems. While a 100% prevention of attacks is impossible, these efforts help reduce the risk of data leaks. Cyber threats today have become more complex, with artificial intelligence (AI) used in attacks. Unlike traditional attacks requiring hackers to act manually, AI can operate continuously to search for system vulnerabilities without pause until a breach is successful.
Air Chief Marshal Manat explained that the air traffic control security system managed by the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand has been designed as a closed system to limit external access and reduce cyberattack risks. This system is critical and cannot tolerate errors. He reaffirmed that aviation data under CAAT's oversight remains secure and protected from cyberattacks.
“Personal data relates to economic matters, but safety standards are a separate concern that we carefully guard. Airlines have adequate protective systems and operate as closed systems. Therefore, attacking such data is very difficult because these systems cannot afford errors,” Air Chief Marshal Manat said.
Air Chief Marshal Manat noted that new technologies like drones operate on different systems than Amadeus's ticketing system. The use of drones requires control over frequency bands and encryption systems, along with thorough safety checks before deployment to prevent risks from system vulnerabilities. CAAT will carefully evaluate these technologies and will not permit their use if vulnerabilities or insufficient security are found.
." Government Policy Additional