The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has intensified cyber security and risk-management measures at the country's airports as part of preparations for the upcoming ICAO security audit. The measures were highlighted at the second meeting of the Civil Aviation Threat and Risk Assessment Committee (CATRAC), held at CAAB headquarters. CAAB Chairman and CATRAC President Air Vice Marshal Md Mostafa Mahmood Siddiq chaired the meeting, which was attended by representatives from relevant government, security and intelligence agencies.
Strengthening Cyber Defenses
The meeting placed particular emphasis on strengthening airport cyber security against threats including phishing, password theft, unauthorised access and theft of passenger and flight-related information. It was informed that cyber security has been incorporated into the National Civil Aviation Security Programme (NCASP) and Airport Security Programme (ATSP), while CAAB has initiated steps to issue Civil Aviation Cyber Security Directives. CAAB has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bangladesh Computer Council's e-Government Computer Incident Response Team (e-Gov CIRT) to conduct cyber security audits.
Multidimensional Security Challenges
CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Md Mostafa Mahmood Siddiq said the civil aviation sector currently faces multidimensional security challenges, including terrorism, cyber risks, insider threats, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and drone attacks. He stressed that coordinated efforts among relevant agencies are crucial to effectively address such evolving threats. Mostafa said CATRAC is playing an important role in conducting regular security risk assessments in accordance with Annex 17 of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The Civil Aviation Risk Context Statement (CARCS) has already been finalised, while procedures for intelligence sharing have also been clearly defined, he said. The chairman said the initiatives are particularly important for Bangladesh's preparations for the upcoming ICAO Universal Security Audit Programme-Continuous Monitoring Approach (USAP-CMA) audit.
During the meeting, intelligence agencies were also asked to provide guidance for preparing a Higher-Risk Designation List (HRDL) to determine the necessity of aircraft searches. Participants reviewed progress in implementing decisions taken at the first CATRAC meeting and discussed current and emerging aviation security risks, timely intelligence sharing, risk management and stronger inter-agency coordination.
