Tue, Apr 21, 2015
Twitter Post Got Security Company CEO Stopped At The Gate
If you had any questions about the whether to post that airplane security-related joke on Twitter, consider the story of Chris Roberts, founder of One World Labs.
Roberts' company does research on security risks a with a goal of finding them before they become an issue. He recently gave media interviews concerning a potential airline security issue involving onboard Wi-Fi. He told CNN that on at least a dozen occasions, he had been able to connect a box under his seat to the onboard Wi-Fi and view data about the aircraft's engines and other systems.
The Associated Press reports that he told Fox News that he could "theorize on how to turn the engines off at 35,000 feet and not have any of those damn flashing lights go off in the cockpit."
Last Wednesday, Roberts had been removed from a United flight by the FBI on arrival in Syracuse, NY, after he "joked" on Twitter that he could get the oxygen masks to deploy on the plane. That remark got his laptop and other electronics seized by authorities, though his attorney says Roberts has not seen a warrant.
On Saturday, while attempting to board another United flight to California, he was stopped at the gate and told he could not board the aircraft.
A spokesman for the airline told the AP that the move was precautionary after the Twitter post on Wednesday, and added the airline is "confident" that the airplane's systems could not be accessed in the way described by the researcher.
Roberts eventually flew to California on Southwest, according to the report.
(Image from file)
More News
Light Gun A handheld directional light signaling device which emits a brilliant narrow beam of white, green, or red light as selected by the tower controller. The color and type of>[...]
"The journey to this achievement started nearly a decade ago when a freshly commissioned Gentry, driven by a fascination with new technologies and a desire to contribute significan>[...]
Aero Linx: JAARS, Inc. For decades now, we’ve landed planes on narrow rivers and towering mountains. We’ve outfitted boats and vehicles to reach villages that rarely se>[...]
"Our driven and innovative team of military and civilian Airmen delivers combat power daily, ensuring our nation is ready today and tomorrow." Source: General Duke Richardson, AFMC>[...]
Aircraft Conflict Predicted conflict, within EDST of two aircraft, or between aircraft and airspace. A Red alert is used for conflicts when the predicted minimum separation is 5 na>[...]