Airports serve as critical nodes in global transportation networks, relying on interconnected digital systems for everything from passenger processing and security operations to back-office processes and applications. This increasing reliance on cyber infrastructure throughout an airport’s operations introduces significant vulnerabilities in the face of evolving and unpredictable cyber threats. The concept of cyber resilience acknowledges the inevitability of system breaches and extends beyond prevention to encompass adaptive capacities that ensure system continuity during and after cyber incidents. Airports have extensive cyber-physical dependencies, and a resilience-based approach is essential for maintaining operational stability in the face of sophisticated and persistent threats. Airports must plan for adverse events and have a strategy in place for recovery and return to normal operations.

The objective of this research is to develop an evidence-based framework for enhancing cyber resilience throughout airport operations and business practices, including the identification of best practices and evaluating the implications of evolving cybersecurity threats on data-driven environments.