Originally Posted by
PerfInit
Here is an Excerpt from FAA Advisory Circular AC 120-76B regarding EFB's:
"(2) The operator should identify a means to demonstrate that adequate security measures are in place to prevent malicious introduction of unauthorized modifications to the EFB’s operating system, its specific hosted applications, and any of the databases or data links used to enable its hosted applications (i.e., security risk assessment). The operator also needs to protect the EFB from possible contamination from external viruses."
The above is a recommendation only, but it explains why many air carriers ISSUE an IPAD (EFB) to crewmembers and "lock it down" so personal Apps won't be downloaded. This helps prevent possible "interfere" with displaying information that is essential for Safety of Flight...
It's much, much more likely that the autopilot will blast through a localizer, the FMS will glitch out, the FMS database will have an incorrect crossing restriction, or some other major mechanical system will malfunction.
The reliability and security of the iPad and Apple iOs are the very, very, very, very, very last things on my mind when I'm flying. The airplane and the guy next to you are way more likely to malfunction (or be compromised) and kill you.
Given the FAA's logic on this, they should similarly be requiring all paper Jepp revisions to be delivered by a secure mail service, and signed for by the pilot receiving them with ID confirmation by the mail service. Otherwise, it's equally likely "malicious" bad charts could be introuced by some sociopathic flight geek trying to get us to tune up the wrong localizer (gasp!).