A working forum for rail cybersecurity
Welcome to Cyber Senate
CyberSenate brings together the people responsible for securing rail systems — operators, infrastructure leaders, and suppliers working across complex, long-lifecycle environments.
The focus is simple: how cybersecurity works in practice.
Not frameworks in isolation, but how systems are actually protected, monitored, and recovered when things go wrong — across networks, control systems, and supplier ecosystems.
Built around real-world rail operations
Rail systems don’t fail in theory — they fail in live environments, under pressure, across interconnected systems and suppliers.
CyberSenate exists to reflect that reality.
Discussions focus on operational systems, incident response, supplier integration, and the day-to-day challenges of keeping rail services running safely and securely.
Core areas of focus
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Securing operational rail systems
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Managing risk across supplier ecosystems
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Responding to incidents under real-world constraints
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Bridging IT and OT in long-lifecycle environments
From the Summits
Selected moments and discussions from recent Rail Cybersecurity Summits.
Network Rail Keynote Presentation Cyber Senate 6th annual Rail Cybersecurity Europe
Security Operations and Delivering a centralised sustainable, cost effective security operations capability, presentation by Network Rail for the Cyber Senate 6th annual Rail Cybersecurity Summit online February 23/24th.
www.railcybersecurity.com
Cybersecurity and Functional Monitoring for Substations
Cybersecure Substation Network Architecture – A case study
Analyzing the most important attack vectors throughout the substation lifecycle
Applying the NIST Cybersecurity Framework in substations
Presentation of a new cyber-secure substation network architecture in deployed by a Swiss utility
Outlining their security measures such as secure remote and local maintenance access, multiple firewall zones within the substation and intrusion detection
Challenges when applying IDS at the substation level and how to solve them
Industrial Control Cybersecurity: A discussion “Confidentiality, integrity, and availability versus Safety and Reliability”
Cyber Senate discusses confidentiality, integrity, and availability versus Safety and Reliability with Michael Firstenberg, Waterfall Security Solution's Director of Industrial Security. Mr Firstenberg will be moderating and contribution to a Panel Discussion on November 4th with the Cyber Senate for the 7th annual Industrial Control Cybersecurity Europe online conference 2020.
Ayman Al Issa Industrial Cybersecurity Lead and Senior Expert @ McKinsey and Company
“Cloud for the OT environment: Being realistic about what is possible.” He will also run a workshop for Cyber Senate attendees “Workshop 'Designing a Secure Reference Architecture for Plant Operations and Maintenance.”
Agile OT Security for Evolving Energy Networks discussed by National Grid this November
Philip Tonkin has worked in the energy business for over 20 years, working in a wide range of disciplines. From field engineering to senior leadership positions, he has always been passionate about solving the challenges of digitising the energy supply industry. Using an understanding of the systems used by the industry along with experience in making decisions as an asset manager, he has led a number of key projects to move forward the understanding of cyber threat.
Now as the OT leader within National Grid’s security team his focus is securing the operational technology that underpins the operation of National Grid’s trans atlantic businesses, from Gas Transmission to Electricity Generation.
OT Security: Adopting and the Value of Defense in Depth
OT Security: Adopting and the Value of Defense in Depth with Cyber Senate and Sellafield Ltd
Geopolitics of Cybersecurity Presentation: Implications for the Supply Chain ICS Europe Nov 3/4
Technological Turning Points
The Making of Cyberspace
Growing Geopolitical Conflict
Cybersecurity on the Trade Battleground
Decoupling of Digital Economies
The Democratization of Innovation Power
Cyber Warfare to Information Warfare
Intelligent Battlefield
The Rise of Digital Disorder
Supply Chain Implications
The Evolution of OT Systems Management discussed with Cyber Senate
Organizations should embrace the concept of OT Systems Management (paralleling ITSM practices) within the unique environments of operating systems. Achieving [...]
Expanding beyond cybersecurity
Some of the challenges facing rail systems sit beyond cybersecurity — in supplier ecosystems, system integration, and operational accountability.
These are addressed through the Operational Risk Council (ORC).
Rail Supply Chain Forum
A focused forum examining supplier ecosystems, integration risk, and long-lifecycle system accountability in rail environments.
👉 ben.reed@operationalriskcouncil.com