Cyber Incident Affects Electronic Flight Bag Users

A recent "cyber incident" affected some Jeppesen products and services, such as the ability to update GPS navigation, flight planning, and instrument approach data.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, November 11, 2022 at 02:33 PM ET

Verified

The cyber incident affected some Jeppesen products and services, which translated to issues potentially affecting navigation charts and information that most pilots draw on their electronic flight bags. [Courtesy: Jeppesen/FLYING Archive]

Key Takeaways:

A cyber incident affecting Jeppesen temporarily impacted pilots' ability to download up-to-date navigation and flight planning data, raising concerns about the accuracy of information on electronic flight bags (EFBs).
The event highlighted the crucial need for pilots to be adaptable and not overly dependent on EFBs, emphasizing the importance of having backup resources and alternative navigation methods.
While the affected delivery services have largely been restored and existing charts were confirmed compliant, the incident served as a real-world lesson on the necessity of diverse navigational resources and contingency planning.

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One of the most important skills a pilot needs to have is the ability to adapt when the flight cannot be completed as planned. This became a real-world lesson for thousands of pilots this week when a cyber incident affecting Jeppesen potentially impacted a pilot’s ability to download up-to-date GPS navigation, flight planning, and instrument approach data.

On November 2, Jeppesen, a Boeing (NYSE: BA) subsidiary, reported on its website that there had been a “cyber incident” that affected some Jeppesen products and services. For pilots, that translated to issues potentially affecting navigation charts and information that most pilots draw from ForeFlight on their electronic flight bags (EFBs). In short, the information became suspect, as pilots were notified it could be out of date.