Railway Cybersecurity

Railway Cybersecurity

Railway Cybersecurity refers to the protection of railway infrastructure, railway network, and systems from external unauthorized digital threats. Railways across the globe have extensively invested in digitalization for signaling, maintenance, and various types of passenger services. These services include not only internet services but financial services such as ticketing services, reservation services, etc., which contain customers’ personal and financial data, which is of a sensitive nature. Considering the theft of these data, railways across the globe are looking to opt for robust cybersecurity measures to reduce the chances of any eventuality.

The Global Railway Cybersecurity market was valued at USD 7.42 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at a strong CAGR of around 8.62% during the forecast period (2024-2032). With the digitalization of railway technologies, many of the railways across the globe have aligned their efforts with establishing a security mechanism against cyber threats. Some of the major objectives of railway cybersecurity for the railway are protecting sensitive data, ensuring the integrity and availability of railway services and systems, and reducing the risks posed by cyber threats. Considering these challenges, many of the cybersecurity providers, along with government agencies, are collaborating in order to pave the way to secure the railway network and ease the establishment of cybersecurity mechanisms within the railway upgradation needs. For instance, in 2024, the European Union announced the European Cyber Resilience Act, which describes the cybersecurity requirement for digital technologies in Europe. These solutions also included mobility solutions such as railways.

Any disruption to the energy supply or network connectivity of trains can have cascading effects on transportation. The railway sector is a lucrative target for cybercriminals, who can profit from stealing sensitive information or disrupting operations for financial gain.

Governments play a crucial role in ensuring the security of railway systems by implementing regulations and policies that require railways to adopt robust cybersecurity measures, conducting audits and inspections to monitor compliance, and investing in research and development to improve the resilience of railway systems to cyber threats. Overall, effective government action is essential to safeguarding railway infrastructure and ensuring a reliable and secure mobility of citizens and goods.

• Based on offering, the global railway cybersecurity market is bifurcated into solutions and services. These solutions have held the major market share owing to the rising need for the hardware and software-based solutions required by the railways. These solutions require infrastructure upgrades as well as constant investing, which has led to higher expenditure on the solutions segment, further attributing to its higher share. These services include risk and compliance management, encryption, firewall, antivirus/antimalware, intrusion detection system/prevention systems, etc. There is a need to install hardware systems such as firewalls, routers, secure communication modules, etc., to protect railway networks, endpoints, and critical infrastructure; the solutions segment is further anticipated to hold a sizeable market share during 2024-2032.
• Based on the security type, the global Railway Cybersecurity market has been segmented into application security, network security, data protection, endpoint security, system and administration. Of these, network security has held the major market share due to its prevalence in protection against unauthorized access, securing communication channels, detection and response to intrusions, ensuring availability and reliability, and adherence to cyber security regulations such as European Rail Traffic Management (ERTM) and Positive Train Control (PTC).
• For a better understanding of the market adoption of Railway Cybersecurity, the Global Railway Cybersecurity market is analyzed based on its worldwide presence in regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World. Of these, the Asia Pacific region held the largest share in 2023. Asia Pacific has a vast railway network, and it is looking forward to comprehensively supporting research & development around railway challenges and their potential technological solutions. Additionally, the region is home to some of the largest manufacturers of railway engines and infrastructure. Considering the vast volume of production, the region is further anticipated to dominate the demand for Railway Cybersecurity in the coming period.
• Some of the major players operating in the market include ABB, Alstom, BAE Systems, Bombardier, Cervello, Cisco Systems Inc., Cylus Ltd., General Vernova, Hitachi Ltd., and Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.