Following cyberattacks on London’s Heathrow, Brussels, and Berlin airports, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has become active in strengthening cybersecurity across all international and domestic airports in the country.

As part of this initiative, the authority issued a cybersecurity alert to all airports last week.

Recently, 10 special cybersecurity directives were issued to airports. The official directive, signed by Air Commodore Abu Sayeed Mehbub Khan, Member (Planning and Operations) of CAAB, was sent to all airport heads and senior officials in civil aviation. A responsible CAAB official confirmed the matter to Dhaka Post.

According to the letter, several airports around the world have recently been targeted by cyberattacks. To ensure uninterrupted aviation operations in Bangladesh, everyone must remain alert.

The letter emphasizes compliance with 10 specific instructions, including:

• Using strong passwords

• Avoiding suspicious emails and links

• Keeping software and antivirus programs updated regularly

• Not using pirated software

• Not installing personal apps on official devices

• Using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Additionally, in case of any cybersecurity-related incident, the letter instructs personnel to immediately notify the CAAB CERT team, the IT department, and the National Cyber Incident Response Team (CIRT).

According to CAAB sources, a meeting was held at the authority’s headquarters on September 15, where the risks of cyberattacks and preventive measures were discussed in detail.

During the meeting, it was mentioned that after the attacks on some London airports, flight operations had to be suspended. As a result, it was decided that precautionary measures should be taken in Bangladesh as well.

It was also stated that CAAB’s website was recently the target of a cyberattack. Therefore, the National Cyber Security Agency urgently recommended a cyber risk assessment for CAAB. In light of this, the appointment of a qualified cybersecurity firm is now being seriously considered.