“A major cyberattack on the nation’s critical infrastructure and economic system would create chaos and lasting damage exceeding that wreaked by fires in California, floods in the Midwest, and hurricanes in the Southeast.” As stated in the Chairman’s Opening Letter in a new report from the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. “Our country is at risk, not only from a catastrophic cyberattack but from millions of daily intrusions disrupting everything from financial transactions to the inner workings of our electoral system. Capturing the complexity of this challenge is hard.”

During February 18th-19th Westlands Advisory attended the Cyber Senate on Rail Industry Cyber Security. The event was attended by executives and management from Train Operating Companies (TOC), Rolling Stock and Signalling Manufacturers, Cyber Security Engineers and Consultants, and Technology vendors. The presentations, panel discussions and debate during networking breaks covered issues ranging from implementation of standards to managing challenges such as third-party risk and developing defence in depth.

Innovation and change are coming to the rail industry. As infrastructure projects approach the end of lifecycles, a new era of rail travel is emerging that will be defined by digital technology, enabling improved services and better experiences. A digital rail network also brings security challenges that need to be addressed to ensure that the rail industry maintains its impressive safety record. Whilst security and safety are not inextricably linked, a security failure may have an adverse effect on rail industry safety, and this has resulted in a considerable amount of work to establish security standards and controls to improve cyber resilience.
To purchase this in depth review of the state of the industry, please visit https://cybersenate.com/rail-cyber-security-report/0dtxb5m8cxc5hxe1bs9fos8gihsjcc