How Susceptible is the F-35 to Being Hacked?

A recent “60 Minutes” segment on the Defense Department’s F-35 focused on some of the high-tech features of the future fighter jet.

The Pentagon’s most advanced — and most expensive — acquisition program isn’t just another stealth aircraft with angled lines and sharp contours. It’s a “flying computer,” with 24 million lines of software code and a $500,000-plus helmet-mounted display that lets pilots see through the floor of the cockpit, according to the report.

[...]

In addition, the plane’s reliance on software and information technology makes it a target for hackers, Schmidle said. “It’s kind of like you using your smart phone to do banking,” he told Martin. “You are taking a greater risk than if you walk down to the teller at the bank and say, ‘Hey, this is what I wanted to do.”

While Schmidle said he’s “confident” that the military will be able to protect the aircraft’s data networks, he also acknowledged that “it’s not going to be easy and it’s not going to happen overnight.”

link.