Cyber Security

TRL currently advises the UK Government on transport related cyber security risks, as well as working with industry, offering bespoke solutions on how to mitigate risk.

Automotive / Electric Vehicles and Charging

Vehicle manufacturers are increasingly integrating technology into their vehicles, which interacts with everything from safety systems to entertainment systems with very little thought to vulnerabilities from cyber-attack.

Similarly, computer networks and technologies are increasingly integrating with electric vehicles and associated charging infrastructure. In both cases, there is very real cyber security risk which can be exploited by hackers or terrorists.

Currently, cyber security standards and regulations are in their infancy and not all incorporate the specific risks associated with vehicle security or with electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. TRL is able to identify and mitigate the risks, providing you with a comprehensive solution.

Infrastructure /Physical / Traffic Management

Building management systems and cloud-based BIM have significantly increased in use, enabling contractors to share vital information instantly. However, this ease of access to information brings with it an additional cyber security risk which TRL can help mitigate.

The safeguarding of any physical assets or equipment should be at the forefront when it comes to protecting your systems and data. TRL is the technical author of UK and international vehicle barrier standards and continue to lead the market in barrier research. As such, we can recommend design and engineering solutions for protecting a site against vehicle borne threats. This is combined with solutions for protecting against personnel and insider threats.

Traffic management systems provide another potential weak point and are vulnerable to cyber-attack; for example, altering the timing of the traffic signals. TRL’s extensive experience of developing SCOOT (Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique) currently used in over 250 cities worldwide, provides us with the necessary knowledge to identify and mitigate this risk.

Rail

Any organisation that manages multiple suppliers increases its risk to cyber-attack, as any risk faced by the supplier, is transferred to their client.

This is particularly critical for large rail infrastructure owners such as London Underground or Network Rail. For example, surface signalling systems are currently proprietorial and therefore hard to attack; however, with the move over to the European Train Control System (ETCS), a single computerised system, the potential for cyber-attacks increases and the impact becomes extensive. Rail operators and suppliers must therefore protect their systems against a cyber-attack.

TRL with its wealth of rail knowledge and experience is able to work with you to provide total solutions to help deal with this risk.

Human Factors

Common to every sector or industry and every solution to mitigate the risk of cyber-attack is human behaviour.

Human behaviour can have a significant impact on security, allowing for system vulnerabilities to be exposed and ultimately systems compromised.

A key component therefore of any robust cyber security regime is the people who have access to the system. Personnel recruitment and training are fundamentally critical to any cyber security system, as is the ability to identify an inside threat within an organisation.

TRL has an excellent record of understanding human behaviour and the human machine interface and based on this extensive experience, can provide robust solutions.

Working in Partnership – Security Consultancy

TRL is working closely with industry and academia to offer unique and total solutions to cyber security, specialising in transport and transport systems, keeping us at the forefront of transport related cyber security risk management.