Special Conditions: Honeywell International Inc., Boeing Model 757-200 Series Airplanes; Electronic System Security Protection From Unauthorized External Access
Key claim: The FAA is issuing special conditions requiring additional cybersecurity safety standards for Boeing 757-200 airplanes modified by Honeywell to include digital systems architecture allowing external network connectivity to previously isolated avionics.
Abstract
(Rule · Transportation Department, Federal Aviation Administration) These special conditions are issued for the Boeing Model 757- 200 series airplanes. This airplane, as modified by Honeywell International Inc (Honeywell), will have a novel or unusual design feature when compared to the state of technology envisioned in the airworthiness standards for transport-category airplanes. This design feature is the installation of a digital systems architecture that will allow increased connectivity to and access from external network sources to the airplane’s previously isolated electronic assets. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.
Why this matters
This finding shows the FAA continuing to apply case-by-case special conditions to close cybersecurity gaps in airworthiness standards whenever a modification introduces external connectivity to avionics systems originally designed as isolated. For platforms (Honeywell, Boeing) and operators, it signals that any retrofit adding network pathways to flight-critical systems will trigger bespoke cybersecurity design and verification requirements until the underlying airworthiness rules are updated.