Flight crews expect a quick turn, spotless data link, and a chip‑card receipt—whatever the hour. But aviation was one of 2024’s most frequently targeted sectors, racking up more than two dozen publicly disclosed cyber‑attacks on airports and aviation services alone. KonBriefing Delay those jets and every minute costs real money; a single block‑hour for a commercial aircraft averages $8,916 before fuel surcharges—private charters often exceed that. Federal Aviation Administration An MSP fluent in line‑service operations, FAA/TSA mandates, and hangar‑side Wi‑Fi keeps your ramps, receipts, and reputations clear for take‑off.
IT Pain Points That Hit FBOs Hard
| Challenge | Ground‑Truth Impact |
|---|---|
| 24/7 POS & Fuel‑farm uptime | One crash and the late‑night trans‑con can’t tank or file. |
| Ransomware aimed at aviation | Airport & service‑provider attacks surged again in 2024. KonBriefing |
| Remote & GA‑field connectivity gaps | Spotty LTE stalls flight‑tracker feeds and card authorizations. |
| Legacy LOB software | Old fueling or maintenance apps balk at cloud sync and EMV readers. |
| PCI‑DSS + TSA Security Directives | Missed updates invite fines—or worse, access revocation. |
| Expanding IoT footprint | Gate cameras, tank gauges, and smart tugs widen the attack surface. |
Seven Ways an MSP Gives FBOs the Edge
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Any‑Ramp Connectivity
SD‑WAN blends dual‑carrier LTE, fiber, or Starlink to keep hangars and fuel farms online. -
24 × 7 SOC + EDR Monitoring
AI stops ransomware in milliseconds and rolls back any encrypted manifest or invoice. -
Zero‑Trust Line‑Service Access
MFA‑protected portals let ramp techs and transient crews reach docs securely—no risky open Wi‑Fi. -
PCI‑DSS & TSA‑Ready Compliance
Quarterly scans and evidence packs satisfy card processors and Security Directives for GA ramps. -
Immutable Backup & Rapid Recovery
Backup your data both onsite and in the cloud for maximum uptime. -
Fuel‑POS & ERP Performance Tuning
High‑availability clusters keep TotalFBO, X‑1FBO, or custom stacks lightning‑fast. -
Predictable Flat‑Rate Billing & vCIO
Align tech spend with seasonal traffic peaks and capital‑improvement plans—no surprise break/fix invoices.
The Hidden Cost of “Good‑Enough” Security
The average data‑breach bill hit $4.88 million in 2024, even before factoring charge‑backs and grounded aircraft. Security Magazine At nearly $9 k per block‑hour for a single jet, an afternoon of system downtime can torch a month of margin. Federal Aviation Administration Proactive monitoring and hardened networks cost pennies by comparison.