The Battle for Cybersecure Skies in India’s Aviation.pdf

Uncover India’s journey toward aviation cybersecurity and how protecting digital cockpits is redefining air safety and innovation across the nation.

1. www.skyone.aero WHO WATCHES THE DIGITAL COCKPIT
THE FIGHT FOR CYBERSECURE SKIES IN INDIAVisit Our Website:

2. Sky One chairman Jaideep Mirchandani argues that data
protection, privacy and cybersecurity are the pillars of
digital independence for Indian aviation
The airplane you board is no longer only metal and fuel. It is
a moving network of sensors, software and data. As India
expands airports, adds planes and welcomes more flyers,
the industry is racing not just to connect cities but to
protect the systems that make those connections possible.
On Independence Day Jaideep Mirchandani reminded the
nation what is at stake. Data protection, privacy and
cybersecurity are the pillars of digital independence, he
said. If those pillars fail, freedom to fly will not be far behind.

3. Why this moment is critical
Air travel is growing fast in India. Every part of the aviation
chain from ticket booking to maintenance schedules is
digitized. That efficiency brings scale and convenience. It
also concentrates risk.
Since June 2025 three major airlines reported cyber
incidents where attackers targeted passenger and
operational data and the incidents were assessed as data
theft.
Global signals matter too. Between January 2024 and April
2025 Thales Group recorded 27 major ransomware
attacks by 22 groups and found that 71 per cent involved
stolen credentials or unauthorized access to critical
systems.
Those numbers are not abstract. They translate into flight
disruption, loss of passenger trust, regulatory scrutiny and
potential safety hazards if critical systems are
compromised.

4. What attackers are trying to do
Attackers aim for value and leverage. In aviation that
means data that can be sold or weaponized and systems
that, if disrupted, cause high impact.
Typical attacker goals include:
Stealing passenger personal data and credentials.
Gaining unauthorized access to operational systems.
Holding systems for ransom or leaking sensitive files.
Using social engineering to loop employees into
breaches.
Mirchandani highlights the logic: aviation is a complex
web of interconnected digital technologies. That
complexity equals attack surface.

5. Experts and industry leaders are aligned on one practical
truth: defense must be proactive, layered and constantly
updated.
Key recommendations Mirchandani and others emphasize
include:
Build an updated digital security framework with real
time threat monitoring and strict access controls.
Prioritize human awareness through frequent training
on scams and social engineering.
Maintain secure offline backups so operations can be
restored quickly if systems are hit.
Adopt credential hygiene and least privilege access to
reduce the success of stolen credentials.
Invest in indigenous solutions that reduce dependency
on external suppliers for critical functions.
What industry leaders are
recommending

6. Mirchandani points to home grown capabilities as part of digital
independence. He mentions solutions already in the ecosystem
such as Vastav AI a deepfake detection platform with 99 per
cent accuracy, Maya OS a secure Indian operating system and
defense platforms like Akashteer that focus on airspace
protection. He also cites initiatives like Bharat NCX and rising
investments in research and development as momentum that
can be channeled into national resilience.
Indigenous tools matter for two reasons. First, they can be
tailored to local operational realities. Second, they reduce
supply chain exposure to foreign vulnerabilities and geopolitical
pressure.
India first solutions and national
resilience

7. A practical roadmap for airports
airlines and vendors
Companies and regulators must move from checklist thinking to
continuous readiness. A simple actionable roadmap:
Assess critical systems and map interdependencies so the true impact
of an attack is visible.
Detect deploy monitoring that can spot anomalies in real time.
Protect enforce least privilege credentials multi factor authentication
and secure offline backups.
Respond create tested playbooks with clear incident roles and
communication protocols.
Recover verify backups and recovery paths and run recovery drills
regularly.
Train run frequent staff awareness exercises and phishing simulations.
Collaborate share threat intelligence across airlines airports vendors
and regulators.
Invest fund R&D and support indigenous cyber security startups and
home grown platforms.

8. The Human Factor Cannot Be
Ignored
Technology alone will not secure the skies. Mirchandani
reminds us that human error remains a key vulnerability.
Regular training on spotting scams and clear
accountability for access management can reduce
breaches dramatically. Invest in people as much as in
platforms.
Independence Day is a reminder that freedom has many
dimensions. For modern aviation digital freedom is as vital
as physical control of runways and radars. If India wants to
claim a Viksit Bharat that thrives on global connectivity it
must guard that connectivity with robust data protection
privacy and cyber security.
Closing Note

9. TL; DR
Aviation is highly digitized which increases cyber risk.
Since June 2025 three major airlines reported data theft
related incidents.
Between January 2024 and April 2025 Thales Group
logged 27 major ransomware attacks with 71 per cent
involving stolen credentials.
Industry experts call for proactive multi layered defense
real time monitoring strict access controls and regular
staff training.
Indigenous solutions such as Vastav AI Maya OS and
Akashteer are cited as building blocks of digital
independence.
Practical steps for organizations include assess detect
protect respond recover train collaborate and invest.
Human awareness and secure offline backups are critical
to resilience.

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