Designing cybersafe rail systems for a resilient future

Rail networks are increasingly being targeted by cyber threats, with global incidents demonstrating how vulnerable digital systems can disrupt operations. Over the past decade, railway systems in Europe and Asia have experienced attacks affecting signalling, dispatching, scheduling and passenger services. The impacts have ranged from delays and confusion to widespread shutdowns, making it clear that cybersecurity is now essential to rail safety.

In Australia, the growth of integrated, digitised and autonomous rail systems has increased complexity and broadened the threat landscape. Modern rail operations depend on continuous communication between trains, trackside equipment and control centres, operating across both public and private railway infrastructure. Rail projects often span decades, outlasting several generations of technology. This presents unique challenges for maintaining cyber integrity throughout railway systems asset lifecycles.

The Australian Rail Industry Standards Organisation (ARISO) formally known as Rail Industry Safety and Standards Board (RISSB) Standard AS 7770 states, “If it’s not secure, it is not safe.” Cybersecurity is a fundamental part of rail safety, asset availability and operational performance in Australia. 

We have often addressed cybersecurity late in project cycles or after entering operations. In today’s complex, interconnected rail environments, this approach is no longer effective, acceptable or sustainable. A design led approach – also referred to as secure-by-design, design in security or cyber informed engineering – places cybersecurity alongside safety engineering to create a unified lifecycle approach.

A proactive, design integrated model offers several benefits:

• Reduced risk exposure: We build systems with inherent protections against unauthorised access and malicious interference.
• Cost efficiency: Addressing vulnerabilities early is more economical than retrofitting security controls.
• Clarity and confidence: Operators gain greater assurance that security controls support reliability and safety obligations.
• Regulatory alignment: National and international standards, including IEC 62443, NIST frameworks and ARISO standards and guidelines, promote or mandate early integration of security principles.

Importantly, this approach recognises that cyber risks evolve faster than traditional rail safety risks, demanding adaptive processes and continuous improvement. 

Secure by design principles align with the systems engineering VModel, which supports rail safety, reliability and maintainability. By integrating cybersecurity into each phase, from concept through to operations, we help create cohesive, resilient systems.

Key activities include:

• Concept and requirements
• Understand the regulatory framework
• Define the system under consideration
• Establish target security levels
• Design
• Develop security architectures, zones and conduits
• Apply cryptographic controls such as SHA256 or AES128
• Prevent unauthorised access through robust access management
• Development and integration
• Apply secure coding practises and implement security updates
• Manage supply chain and integration risks
• Testing, verification and validation
• Evaluate system resilience against agreed threat scenarios
• Confirm security functions perform as specified
• Assess configuration and performance
• Operations and maintenance
• Monitor threats and vulnerabilities
• Adapt to new regulatory requirements
• Apply patches and improvements
• Retirement and replacement
• Decommission systems securely and dispose of sensitive data appropriately

This structured approach supports compliance and provides traceability, which is essential for demonstrating how security decisions align with safety, performance and operational outcomes. 

One of the greatest challenges for rail cybersecurity is the long lifespan of rail infrastructure. Major projects often span 10 to 20 years from planning to commissioning, with operational lives extending even further. Meanwhile, digital technologies evolve rapidly, software versions change annually and operating systems become obsolete within years rather than decades.

Infrastructure conceived in one technological era must operate securely in another. Designing cyber resilience into these long life systems is essential to prevent vulnerabilities that emerge as technologies age, attacker capabilities evolve and regulatory environments shift.

Improving cyber resilience requires not only technical measures but also clear governance, collaboration and early alignment between stakeholders.

Practical steps for industry participants include:

• Engaging cybersecurity specialists during contract development

This supports risk based design choices and reduces later misalignment between suppliers, designers and operators.

• Aligning expectations for assurance early

Establishing key artefacts – such as risk assessments, security specifications and validation requirements – avoids uncertainty later in the project lifecycle.

• Using well understood frameworks and standards

IEC 62443, NIST standards and CLC/TS 50701 provide consistent terminology and methodologies that help integrate cybersecurity into existing safety and engineering processes.

• Supporting cyber assurance throughout the lifecycle

Comprehensive assurance assesses effectiveness, validates configurations and documents system acceptance, strengthening operator confidence.

• Cybersecurity during the early engineering phases reduces cost, rework and leads to benefits including more cost-effective design, operation and maintenance.

As Australia navigates what ASIO describes as a new era of “strategic surprise and security fragility,” adopting these practices in rail will enhance national resilience and help safeguard essential services. 

Cybersecurity in rail is no longer an optional add on, it is an integral part of system safety, performance and community trust. By embedding cyber informed engineering across the entire railway lifecycle, we can deliver networks that withstand evolving threats, adapt to future technologies and support safe, reliable journeys for decades to come.

A secure railway is a safe railway. The decisions we make at the design stage will shape the resilience of Australia’s rail infrastructure well into the future.