Coast Guard procurement of navigation app raises security concerns
Coast Guard seeks to replace mission critical paper navigation with electronic system.
The U.S. Coast Guard released a request for proposal on Aug. 14 for a navigation app to replace traditional paper flight bags. The RFP, however, may be lacking significant security features needed for mission critical operations, reported NextGov.
According to the RFP, "There are no special security requirements" and does not require the software to be developed in the U.S. or undergo tests led by hired hackers. Observers are concerned that the purchase plans may open space for malicious code to be written into the app.
The U.S. Air Force canceled procurement of iPads in Feb. 2012 to replace paper flight bags after concerns arose regarding its intentions to used Russian-developed software.