Threat Taxonomy in AVSEC: From Harm to Crime

Abstract

Civil aviation security (AVSEC) is an essential component of comprehensive air transport management for the protection of people, aircraft, and airport facilities against acts of unlawful interference and emerging threats.

In this context, a taxonomy of order emerges that allows for the classification of events that cause negligent harm and those that constitute intentional crimes, not only for its academic and legal value, but also for its direct impact on decision-making and resource allocation in risk management. Furthermore, adopting a disruptive approach to the conceptualization and classification of threats allows for the questioning and updating of existing regulatory frameworks to ensure their relevance in the face of emerging scenarios, such as the misuse of unmanned aircraft (drones), cyberattacks, or hybrid threats.

Despite regulatory and technical advances in security, much of the academic and technical literature has tended to classify incidents under generic categories. This lack of differentiation limits the design of effective public policies, the proper assignment of legal responsibilities, and the prioritization of resources in risk management. In response to this gap, this article proposes an innovative conceptual framework based on the development of a threat taxonomy that establishes criteria for systematically distinguishing behaviors that constitute crimes and strengthens risk management through an analytical tool that supports regulatory updates, promotes institutional resilience, and encourages the implementation of evidence-based policies.