Older airplanes can now connect to outside networks, but only with new security rules

Older Boeing 757 airplanes can now connect their internal systems to outside networks. The US aviation regulator is creating new safety rules specifically for this kind of connection, because existing rules do not cover it.

For decades, airplane systems were designed to be isolated from outside networks. This rule means older planes can now get modern internet connections, but it also shows that regulators are playing catch-up. They are writing new rules for each specific case, rather than updating the general standards.