Your friend is far more correct and giving a possible scenario than a cyber attack. As someone that helped create some of the 777 avionics I know for a fact that no part of the 777 flight controls are even attached to another computer or communications system for a hack attack to even be physically possible.
Erratum: He’s not a “flight engineer,” there is no such position on a 777. He was an aviation/avionics engineer on his way to Beijing to take care of an Air Malaysia jet, I believe. An engineer, not a “flight engineer.”
I’ve had a peripheral involvement with 777 avionics development myself and am inclined to agree with you.
<< As someone that helped create some of the 777 avionics I know for a fact that no part of the 777 flight controls are even attached to another computer or communications system for a hack attack to even be physically possible. >>
Could someone explain how this statement does or does not relate to the .gov bulletin issued last November? The entire premise of the reason this document was published in the FEd Register seems to be because Boeing was approved for a unique computer network setup that made this plane vulnerable to computer security issues.