ATM security conference, workshop and exhibition
The NATO EUROCONTROL Air Traffic Management (ATM) Security Coordinating Group (NEASCOG) and the EUROCONTROL ATM Security Team (SET) jointly held an ATM Security Conference, Workshop and Exhibition on 9 - 10 June, at EUROCONTROL’s Headquarters.
In his opening address, Philippe Merlo, EUROCONTROL’s Director ATM, reminded the audience that the results of the event will feed into both the NEASCOG and the SET’s work programmes and that the findings will impact on ATM security developments in the years to come.
The main objective of the event was to analyse the level of achievement made so far, reassess risks to ATM and develop a proposal for a work plan for global harmonisation and improvement.
More than 100 participants, representing the full range of ATM security stakeholders, engaged in lively and productive discussions.
On the first day, sessions addressed ‘Risk’ and ‘Response’ in ATM security issues.
On the second day, four dedicated topics were analysed:
- Civil-Military and international cooperation in ATM security, including airspace affected by conflict;
- ATM security policy;
- threat and risk assessments
- the harmonisation of rules for ATM security: what role can the National Aviation Security Programme play?
The finding on the two-day event, put forward by one of the three co-chairs, Michael Steinfurth of EUROCONTROL, was: ‘Very good work has been done and much effort has been made. However, efforts are still fragmented and there are limited individual resources. We should merge all these efforts together so as to make security fit for the challenges of the 21st Century.’
This desired outcome could be achieved by these means:
- Establish a civil-military cooperation for a joint approach on national and international level to:
- identify the 21st Century risks in a total systems approach relevant to ATM (manufacturers, airlines, air navigation service providers, airports, communication-network providers, including internet, etc.)
- assess these risks (likelihood, probability, consequences …)
- amend security policies accordingly
- build security structures and concepts of operation that are fit for purpose
- provide a regulatory framework, preferably one that is globally applicable (ICAO-level)
- ensure that all relevant entities implement the resulting procedures.
- Establish a civil-military “Total System Approach” Security structure on national and international levels to:
- develop information/intelligence-sharing mechanisms, processes and tools (ISAC structure)
- have common risk identification and assessment procedures for all, adaptable to individual user’s needs
- create standardisation, certification and oversight processes for security-relevant human and technical resources
- refine security alerting systems and processes.