ACI EUROPE (Airports Council International), the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the European Organisation for Security (EOS), AVINOR and Heathrow Airport, has released initial guidance on Open Architecture for Airport Security Systems.
This guidance seeks to provide the path to unlocking secure data interconnectivity and interoperability among globally connected aviation security systems.
“The pace of the evolution of new security screening technologies is unprecedented and Open Architecture helps to increase interoperability through the use of open standards and simplifies adding, changing or replacing new components and data sharing,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske.
“Through open architecture, TSA provides pathways for new collaborators, such as ACI EUROPE, enhancing innovation by broadening the market of possible partnerships and by allowing for greater flexibility to integrate best solutions that outmatch constantly changing threat environments. Having more of the community involved in the development of this guidance is a major milestone for aviation security globally.”
Implementing Open Architecture principles into security systems will enable open data formats and standard interfaces, all embedded within an operationally viable and cyber-secure aviation security environment. The implementation of Open Architecture principles will facilitate uniform standards that will expedite agile responses to new and emerging threats, providing benefits for all stakeholders throughout the globally connected aviation system.
The guidance published builds on the original 2020 Open Architecture thought paper. That paper served as a catalyst and highlighted a desire for Open Architecture from end-users, leading to the establishment of the Joint Open Architecture Steering Group with representation from ACI EUROPE, EOS, TSA, AVINOR and Heathrow Airport.
The 2020 thought paper was prepared by ACI EUROPE with contributions from the TSA, other national regulators, and airport operators. Since then, one of the key priorities for the Steering Group was to consult the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and technology stakeholders.
The guidance released today represents a joint initiative across stakeholder communities to engage the OEMs and technology stakeholders into the development of Open Architecture for Aviation Security Systems. The guidance provides detailed technical standards that seek to identify the issues and challenges that need to be addressed and overcome in order to fully implement Open Architecture. The document is supplemented by a number of Annexes detailing specific terms, use cases and considerations.
