Cyber Threats Against Critical Infrastructures in Railroads

摘要

This capstone project identified and examined cyber vulnerabilities to critical infrastructure systems as it pertains to the railroad industry. The research began with a brief explanation of the importance of the rail industry and how the industry is implementing improvements to protect its infrastructures. Cyber threats are not only aimed at the rail industry but other sectors that may support it, such as the power grid. Vulnerabilities have been discovered in the critical infrastructures of railroads. Railroad systems controlling train operations and signaling were found to have security holes in their systems that could allow cyber attacks. Components being used by the rail industry were being discovered with security flaws found in outdated devices or software. Training, new technology, and equipment upgrades are needed to stay current with the rapid changes in cyber threats to protect the critical infrastructures of railroads.