Military Embedded Systems

Topic: DO-178

Story
Incorporating DO-326A security airworthiness into software-development life cycle

April 26, 2022

Before jumping right into adopting DO-326A to address cybersecurity certification, it needs to be put into the context of DO-178, which is the overarching standard. DO-178 is a process standard that contains steps for the software used in airborne systems. DO-178C, also known as ED-12C in Europe, is the latest version that aerospace systems and software engineers use as guidance to ensure airworthiness. Though it continues to evolve, one document cannot encompass all development needs and supporting or complementing documents to DO-178 have evolved over time. DO-326A is one of these; its purpose is to provide a framework with objectives and process guidance in addressing intentional and unintentional security threats to aircraft systems.