Bangladesh Bolsters Aviation Against Brewing Cyber Breaches
Following a series of cyberattacks on major international airports in London, Brussels, and Berlin, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has stepped up cybersecurity measures across all domestic airports.
To strengthen defenses, CAAB has issued ten specific directives to all airports nationwide.
According to sources at CAAB, the instructions were circulated last week by Air Commodore Abu Saeed Mehbub Khan, Member (Planning & Operations), to all airport chiefs and senior civil aviation officials.
The directives note that recent cyberattacks have disrupted operations at airports worldwide, in some cases halting flight operations entirely. “These measures are issued as a precaution to ensure such incidents do not occur in Bangladesh,” the notice states.
CAAB officials confirmed that their own website experienced a cyberattack last month. While no significant damage occurred, the incident raised concerns and prompted action. Following consultations with aviation-related intelligence agencies, CAAB initiated steps to strengthen cybersecurity across all facilities.
The directives include: using strong passwords, avoiding suspicious emails and links, maintaining regular software and antivirus updates, refraining from pirated software, not installing personal applications on official devices, and enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA).
Additionally, any cybersecurity incidents must be immediately reported to CAAB’s CAB CERT team, the IT division, and the National Cyber Incident Response Team.
An official from CAAB said, “At a meeting held on September 15 at headquarters, we discussed the issue in detail. Following cyberattacks at several London airports that halted flight operations, we are taking proactive steps to prevent a similar scenario in Bangladesh.”
The meeting also revealed that the recent attack on CAAB’s website has been reported to the National Cybersecurity Agency, which conducted a risk assessment and recommended the rapid engagement of an experienced cybersecurity firm.
