SLCAA DG, other discuss Emerging Threats to Civil Aviation at AVSECIn her statement Musayaroh Barrie, Director General Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority noted that despite the fact that Sierra Leone currently has a modest aviation industry with a low threat level, the fact that we live in a world where aviation security threats continue to evolve and diversify, means that proactive measures to address emerging threats to civil avaiation must be implemented with all seriousness.
Unfortunately, civil aviation will continue to be a target for obvious reasons, mainly she noted .
Inflict mass casualties
Gets a lot of media attention
Call international attention (High profile)
Generate public anxiety/panic
The threat civil aviation faces today range from, Insider threat, airborne threat (conventional Hijack or aircraft used as weapon), Person IED, Vehicle-borne IED, Cargo IED, Chemical, biological and radiological attacks to mention a few.
Like other countries, the measures we adopt to counter emerging threats to civil aviation are based on threat assessments conducted by the relevant state security agencies including the SLCAA.
Insider Threat
Despite insider threat being a serious concern for a long time now, it remains an emerging threat to civil aviation, especially so when cyber attackers try to collude with staff who have unrestricted access to aviation key points. The insider threat can come in the form of an ex-employee, current employee, contracted worker, or partner. Because they carry inside knowledge of the industry, an insider threat’s true underlying motive and unpredictability can be frightening.
At the SLCAA she noted we believe that a combination of measures should be employed in dealing with this threat- pre-employment checks. which include understanding the employment history of airport staff, why they left their previous employment, knowledge of any criminal record plays a central role in profiling employees Also- employing random checks and oversight activity. The element of surprise will keep airport staff on their toes.
Not to talk of behavioral detection – if it looks fishy ask question, noticing the attitude of staff/any drastic changes to behavior, unusual comments etc.not alsp forgeting – full implementation of SOPs and screening procedures- General Security Awareness Training for all Airport staff, security is everyone’s business and – Encourage passengers/ all airport users to report any suspicious behavior of anyone in or around the airport facility.
Cyber Attacks
With society’s increasing reliability on technology, cyber security must be a high priority. Cyber threats to computer systems on the ground and at the airport can cause flight delays, loss of power, system failures, and a breakdown in communication between networks. Attacks to aircrafts in the sky can mean disruptions to navigations systems and losing on-board aircraft control.
While Sierra Leone has not yet experienced any cyber-attacks, as the regulatory authority, we have policies in place requiring all key aviation service providers such as the airlines check-in systems, ATC to establish, implement and maintain cyber secure digital systems.
Our oversight activities review these measures in place to assess their effectiveness
And make recommendations where necessary.
We are also funding training for our aviation security staff in cyber security to improve their knowledge and competencies to appreciate the threat and deploy countermeasures to protect our key installations and systems.
Information sharing with key control agencies is also important to effectively monitor and mitigate this risk.
Unmanned Ariel Vehicles/Drones
Of significant and immediate concern in contemporary aviation security is the use of drones for nefarious intentions.
The rising popularity of drones among enthusiasts and businesses has not escaped the attention of malicious actors such as terrorists and criminals. I reference the 2018 drone incident at Londons Gatwick Airport which resulted in extensive disturbances and the grounding of hundreds of flights.
In Sierra Leone, drones are still few in use compared to other parts of the world. As the regulatory authority, we have taken proactive steps to control the use of drones especially in and around the airport environs. Part 6B of our Civil Aviation Regulations contains Policies for the use of unmanned aircrafts in Sierra Leone. These regulations make the registration of Drones with the SLCAA Mandatory.
Sierra Leone is expecting an increase in use of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) in the near future across Industries such as health, agriculture, construction,mining, aerial filming, forest and environment study.
The State plans to host an Online/ web based single system for issuance of Unique Identification Number (UIN) of RPAS in order to monitor RPAS.
As a way forward the SLCAA is to;
a) Monitor the effectiveness of the published operating regulations in respect of RPAS.
b) Coordinate with other agencies for safe and smooth operations of RPAS in the country.
c) Harmonize regulations for RPAS regional/international.
Armed Attacks on the landside of airports
Recent armed attacks on airports around the world such as in Turkey (2016), Brussels airport (2016) Los Angeles International Airport shooting (2013) present another emerging threat.
At FNA Strict access control measures are being implemented along side surveillance of the landside areas of the airport by military and police counter terrorism units.
The airport has an emergency/contingency plan in place which contains emergency communication systems, and incident command protocols for swift and coordinated responses to emergencies such as armed attacks within the airport.
Ultimately, the DG noted states must engage in continuous assessments of the emerging threats most applicable to them, adequate planning, inter agency collaboration and information sharing key to effectively mitigate these threats. In addition states must also be committed to the continuous training of key personnel and subject matter experts.
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