photo: Archives/Railway
With the new innovative technologies in the railway industry, there is also a risk of cyber-attacks. Especially for some automated proceedings. That is why Egis and Cylus have concluded an agreement on the joint creation of a center of excellence for cyber security for rail and cyber security services.
The aim of this center is to support railway companies in building and setting up their system of cyber safety and security of risky networks. The cornerstone of the operation of this center is the experience of top experts, world-leading methodologies, technologies and standards (IEC 62443).
This center wants to provide its customers with top security solutions and services that should cover both the detection strategy and the response to the cyber-attack itself. The center’s team of experts can also analyze potential gaps in the systems of their customers.
The French engineering group Egis operates in the areas of infrastructure and mobility. Cylus, on the other hand, is directly involved in cyber safety on the railways. It was set up to help set up the systems of major and urban rail companies to avoid service interruptions or other cyber-attack incidents. Cylus combines billing safety with railway safety. Its portfolio also includes, for example, signaling track protection systems.
"We are excited to work with Cylus, a leading company in the field of cyber security on the railways." and actively support our customers by preparing them for the growing risk of cyber threats,” said Olivier Bouvart, CEO of Rail of Egis, in a press release.
The arrival of modern innovative technologies over the last decade has brought with it a new risk. Hacker cyber-attacks on the railway, which could fundamentally affect the safety of railway traffic. Many processes have been automated and wireless communication takes place in the train control. This is a potential gap in the system that hackers can exploit.
If a train detects a signal input outside the normal set process, the train should stop. This, too, can mean big problems, and especially disruption of the overall transport plan. For example, goods with a short expiration date could also cause large financial damages.
In order for railway companies to effectively protect themselves from hackers, it is necessary to perform a procedural analysis and control of potential risks in all sections of data anomalies. Cyber safety on the railways is a much-discussed topic at the time of the arrival of smart technologies. The merger of Egis and Cylus and the creation of a joint center can be of great help to many companies in this regard.