A chilling theory suggests the missing Malaysian Airlines plane could have been hijacked using a mobile phone or USB stick.
An anti-terror expert believes the speed, altitude and direction of the aircraft could have been changed, simply by sending radio signals from a small remote device.
A framework of 'codes' created by cyber terrorists would also be able to get into the plane's in-flight entertainment system and override the security software.
Probe: Police in Malaysia have searched the home of pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah (left) and Fariq Abdul Hamid after officials confirmed the plane was taken over by a 'deliberate act'
It is also believed, once the systems have been successfully hacked, the plane could be landed by remote control.
The theory has emerged as the search for flight MH370 continues to grow, with 25 countries now involved in the rescue effort.
Yesterday, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak confirmed the plane's disappearance was the result of a 'deliberate act' and could have flown as far as Kazakstan.
Dr Sally Leivesley, a former Home Office official, said: 'It might well be the world’s first cyber hijack.'
Dr Sally Leivesley, a former Home Office official, said: 'It might well be the world¿s first cyber hijack'
Dr Leivesley, who now prepares businesses and governments for potential terrorist attacks, told the Sunday Express: 'There appears to be an element of planning from someone with a very sophisticated systems engineering understanding,'
'This is a very early version of what I would call a smart plane, a fly-by-wire aircraft controlled by electronic signals.
She added that once the plane is air-side, you can insert a set of commands and codes which can begin a new set of processes.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak confirmed that the plane could have travelled, undetected, for a further seven hours
Friends of Capt Zaharie Ahmad Shah, whose home was searched by police yesterday, said he was a 'gadget geek' while at school.
They described the 53-year-old as someone who would 'never compromise his passenger's safety', the Malaysian Star reported.
A flight simulator, which taken from his luxury house in a suburb outside Kuala Lumpur, has been dismantled and is being examined by investigators.
Police sources have confirmed that Shah was a vocal political activist – and fear that the court decision left him profoundly upset. It was against this background that, seven hours later, he took control of a Boeing 777-200 bound for Beijing and carrying 238 passengers and crew.
It is not yet clear where the plane was taken, however Mr Razak said the most recent satellite data suggests the plane could have been making for one of two possible flight corridors.
The search, involving 43 ships and 58 aircraft from 15 countries, switched from the South China Sea to the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean.
The rescue operation is now encompassing 25 countries and has been expanded to cover both land mass and sea
The final picture: The missing jet is pictured here in February this year above Polish airspace
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