Embedded Threat Detector

A method for detecting a threat to an avionics system, comprising:

• associating an Embedded Threat Detector (ETD) with an avionics system controller, the avionics system controller onboard an aircraft, the ETD incorporated within a non-bypassable root virtual machine within the avionics system controller, the ETD including a signature deviation tolerance;
• generating a plurality of controlled signatures in a learning mode, each controlled signature of the plurality of controlled signatures defining at least one controlled thread of an avionics application associated with the avionics system;
• storing the plurality of controlled signatures within a non-volatile memory;
• generating at least one runtime signature in an operational mode, the at least one runtime signature defining at least one runtime thread of the avionics application associated with the avionics system;
• comparing the at least one runtime signature with at least one controlled signature of the plurality of controlled signatures;
• determining a difference between the at least one runtime signature and the at least one controlled signature;
• comparing the difference with the signature deviation tolerance;
• and
• alerting a user if the difference exceeds the signature deviation tolerance.