The Insider Threat of the Aviation Industry

     An airport is exposed to a wide range of threats and risks. Although external threats are crucial, internal threats are a matter of growing worry. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Global Aviation Security Risk Context Statement, insiders continue to be seen by terrorist groups as a resource that could be valuable in helping the planning of attacks, whether intentional or inadvertent, of their own free will or under duress, because of their specialized understanding of security measures and their possible access to security-restricted locations and planes.

    In an airport environment, "the insider could be virtually anyone, including an employee, contractor, consultant or anyone else who has legitimate access to their organization’s information or assets" (BaMaung, 2018). The insider could actively cooperate by providing information or access to a location, or they could passively ignore their roles. Therefore, any vulnerability that may be exploited for illegal activities also has the potential to be used for terrorist activities.

    Through a comprehensive approach to identifying the weaknesses in crucial organizational components including the infrastructure, IT systems, and client information, TSA layers of protection can be employed to combat insider threats. In order to prevent instances of insider threats penetrating the organization, it can be beneficial for the company to implement a thorough hiring process that ensures candidates are screened during the hiring process.  Before hiring the person, they have to provide a background check, "criminal records, detailed review of employment history, travel history, correct identification, etc. can provide a reasonable picture of a potential employee" (IATA, 2018).

    The traditional strategies for internal threat mitigation focus on background checks as a requirement for employment, the use of identity cards for access control, and the observation of employees already in place. The significance of inspection procedures being unpredictable for employees is likewise being emphasized more and more.

References

BaMaung, D. (2018, August 20). Security: The hidden “insider” threat of the aviation sector. International Airport Review. https://www.internationalairportreview.com/article/73985/security-the-hidden-insider-threat-of-the-aviation-sector/

Insider threat in civil aviation. (2018, June). IATA. https://www.iata.org/contentassets/e55ae27b2fc34343a1143fca5129c8dd/insider-threats-position.pdf