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The Institute of Engineering Technology

UK must prepare for increased transport cyber-security threat…

800 450 Jack Wynn

A new report from Transport Systems Catapult (TSC) suggests the UK transport sector needs to increase its focus on cyber-security in the face of ‘rapidly emerging’ technological developments.

The report – supported by The Institute of Engineering Technology (IET), the Digital Catapult, IBM and the Intelligent Mobility Partnership (IMPART) – cites a number of trends in mobility, cyber-security, technology and society that are making the environment ‘much more complex’ to deliver safe, secure, and reliable infrastructure and mobility services.

The emergence of a global ‘Intelligent Mobility’ market is one particular example highlighted by TSC, featuring the Internet of Things (IoT), automated vehicles and increasing use personal data to create services tailored to the individual. This could potentially add another layer of complexity into an already vulnerable transport network, as well as open new cyber-threats.

Andrew Everett, chief strategy officer at TSC said: “The cyber security issues faced by transport in the future will not simply be an acceleration of the current constant, with more cyber-attacks. The way we move people and goods around the globe is undergoing a radical change.

“It is being driven by technological advances such as wireless communications, smart devices, Open Data, the Internet of Things and more recently artificial intelligence. The surface area of potential attacks is set to increase significantly and the transport industry needs to get to grips with this immediately.”

A further example is the rush to automation, for trains, buses and cars. Current detection and action times on cyber incidents is measured in days, weeks and even months, however TSC warns that autonomous vehicle systems will require detection, identification and resolution within seconds to prevent serious safety consequences.

Anna Bonne, head of Sector – Transport at the IET, added: “Intelligent mobility has huge potential to transform the way we travel. The UK is leading the world in this area especially through its trials of autonomous vehicles.

“Operation of an autonomous vehicle will be heavily dependent on a lot of software embedded in the vehicle and their ability to communicate to other vehicles and the road infrastructure, so it is crucial that all aspects of cyber security are considered carefully. This report aims to raise awareness of the cyber security challenge in intelligent mobility and ensure that cyber security is considered at the design phase and not as an afterthought.”

Read the full report here