RAIL e-SECURITY SOLUTIONS
AN UNIT OF : ALL INDIA RAIL SAFETY COUNCIL
Cyber-security in rail
PROTECTING
RAILWAY CYBER-SECURITY TODAY, TOMORROW, AND FOR THE FUTURE
In the rail sector, we have seen
cybersecurity developed into standards – e.g. the Indian Rail Traffic
Management System (ERTMS) – which is a significant step in the right direction,
but how do we keep our assets secure? Cybersecurity is a continuous process
that must be reviewed over the lifecycle of the asset. Unlike safety assurance,
where, if we don’t fundamentally change our asset, the safety case holds,
cybersecurity is a changing dynamic. We must, therefore, be prepared to
continuously review design and implementation decisions on a regular basis to
ensure that our assets remain secure. As we continue to have highly digitalized
fleets and infrastructure assets, this is a challenge that will only continue
to rise.
Before we delve into the
solutions and what we must consider, it’s important to review the lifecycle of
an asset, from design to implementation, deployment, and then retirement. When
we design and develop our systems and assets, we are typically constrained by
the hardware available at the time, which means that we must make decisions to
provide optimal security whilst not impacting performance. As time passes,
though, these barriers are eliminated, where we should look to implement these
improvements to benefit from maximal security. As an example, in 1997, when the
IRTMS standards were being developed, the cryptography used had to be carefully
selected due to hardware limitations. These hardware constraints, however, are
long gone, where most computer processors now benefit from hardware
implementations of AES, something which was not possible over 20 years ago.
When these barriers no longer exist, we should look at implementing the best
practices and solutions available at the point of design and as opportunities
for improvement.
The new research project aims to
improve rail navigation technology
The project aims to tackle one
of the rail sector’s biggest challenges: How to pinpoint the accurate location
of a moving train.
A new research project aimed at
improving railway navigation technology in an effort to reduce train delays and
increase passenger experience has been launched at the University of
Birmingham.
The project aims to tackle one
of the rail sector’s biggest challenges: How to pinpoint the accurate location
of a moving train. Overcoming this challenge is key to ensuring fewer train
delays and increased passenger safety.
The digital transformation of
our railways – whether that is infrastructure assets, signaling, or rolling
stock – is continuing at a significant pace. Through the digitalization of
components, cyber-security now becomes a key consideration, as any attack that
targets rail could have severe safety implications. Unlike our traditional
Information Technology (IT) systems, railway assets fall under the category of
‘Operational Technology’ (OT) systems, where the requirements we place on these
systems are very different.
