Multinational aerospace company Airbus is taking steps to strengthen and grow its cybersecurity activities throughout the group. The company showcased its cybersecurity solutions at the International Cybersecurity Forum (FIC) from 07 to 09 June 2022 in Lille (France).
With the exponential cyber threats, along with the increasing digitalization and connectivity of its products and systems, cybersecurity has become a strategic and pivotal component of Airbus development and future. The company has therefore undertaken a series of actions and investments to further develop and strengthen its cybersecurity capabilities and expertise, ensuring the best possible protection for the company, its ecosystem, and its customers.
Airbus has decided to combine its existing company-wide cybersecurity services activities in a single organization which will go live on 01 July 2022. The new organization, which will focus on cybersecurity and safety services, especially in the industrial sector will bring together more than 1,000 experts based in France, Germany, the UK, and Spain. It will provide a unique global service offering to protect the Group and meet the needs of national authorities and commercial customers including critical infrastructures.
Besides this services activity, cybersecurity teams dedicated to large projects will develop further their expertise and business for defense and space customers and programs. Some 400 experts will contribute to major integration projects in France, Germany, the UK, and Spain around high-level technologies such as cyber defense and cryptography.
Furthermore, Airbus has recently acquired DSI, a Germany-based company certified by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) that provides cryptography and communication systems for the space, airborne, naval, and land sectors.
For its cybersecurity products, Airbus has just launched a double-digit million euros investment plan – mostly focused on R&D activities – in its Stormshield subsidiary. The company, which gathers 400 experts and offers data, endpoint, and network security solutions will increase the capabilities and performance of its product lines and accelerate the development of its international activities.
Within a fast-paced sector where the turnover of employees is high, Airbus continues to invest in talents, having recruited several hundred cybersecurity experts in recent years and foreseeing an increasing need for cyber skills at all levels. Among many initiatives in this domain, Airbus has just launched its own diploma in cybersecurity. The first 25 students will start their degree-level training program in cybersecurity in September 2022.