arrow
Back to Blogs

With Expanded Capabilities, Cylus Announces First “Rail Tech Security Platform”

Amir Levintal
Amir Levintal
CEO
Cylus is expanding our vision and launching a new category called the Rail Tech Security Platform.
Cylus Rail Tech Security Platform Launch banner

In 2017, Cylus introduced the first-to-market cybersecurity solution designed specifically for rail operators. As the market leader, we have set the standard for how operators can visualize, monitor, and manage their operational rail cybersecurity. Our clients span North America, Europe, Asia Pacific/Australia, and the Middle East, with both signaling and rolling stock infrastructure protected by Cylus.

However, the increasing complexity of rail operations, driven by digitalization, is causing CISOs and rail operations executives to demand even more from their cybersecurity solutions. As a result, we are expanding our vision and launching a new category called the Rail Tech Security Platform. A category designed to provide rail operators with the context and guidance to proactively monitor and manage cybersecurity and risk across all their operational rail technology (Rail Tech) environments. With this category, we are redefining the market once again.

Why Now?

Rail technology and innovation are driving a digital revolution in rail operations. However, this transformation poses significant challenges for cybersecurity and risk management in the rail tech industry. With the growing risks in the supply chain and the increasing attack surfaces, those responsible for ensuring the security of rail tech environments face new obstacles.

Operational Rail Tech is bringing optimization, autonomous operations for some, more automation, and the technology itself could be accountable for safety one day. At the same time, the threat landscape becomes more hostile, and Rail Tech systems become more targeted than before. (1)

Rail industry stakeholders now agree that cyber risk is business risk, and cybersecurity and safety are inextricably linked. The challenge has become how to proactively manage cybersecurity across these unique rail environments we call Rail Tech systems including signaling, command & control, auxiliary, comfort, and public applications. These applications exist in rolling stock, trackside, T2G communications, operational control and maintenance centers, and station networks.

CEOs, COOs, CIOs, and Boards are asking tough questions around Rail Tech security and risk. Around real-time visibility of the environment, vulnerabilities, and security posture. Around whether the company can identify and respond to threats in its most critical Rail Tech systems, and whether it has the context to efficiently link cybersecurity and rail operations teams and systems to effectively combat the challenge.

Proactively answering these questions isn’t easy. Rail operators are investing in digitalization faster than they are growing their Rail Tech Security budgets. CISOs are building trust with internal rail operations teams, but increasingly recognize that generic security tools simply do not serve the strategic need. In fact, the wrong tool can cause more operations team follow-up than it saves. CISOs need to both protect and enable growth for the business.

So, it’s no surprise Gartner reports that companies are increasingly seeking tailored cybersecurity platforms for their specific vertical market and that by 2026, 76% of operators will demand specific vertical market knowledge and capabilities.(2)

A more holistic and rail-specific approach is key to staying ahead and is being called for from CISO’s and COOs alike.

A Shift to an Expanded, More Integrated Approach

As the category creator and global leader in rail cybersecurity, Cylus is continuing to lead – innovating and expanding to meet and solve today’s challenges creating the new expanded Rail Tech Security Platform category. While staying true to our mission of leading rail transport toward a cyber-secure future – we are building – and expanding on our already robust CylusOne platform.

Rail Tech systems like signaling and train control applications are unique and specific to the rail industry. The Rail Tech Security Platform, too, is rail-specific, optimized to protect Rail Tech systems, from those most critical to resilient and safe operations, to all the Rail Tech applications across trackside, rolling stock, train-to-ground communications, operations centers, and stations. 

Rail Tech Security Platforms are unique in their ability to provide real-time visibility for security and operations teams for rail operators, deep rail context, and mitigation guidance for every identified security situation. Our growth toward this more integrated and new Rail Tech Security Platform category includes:

  • Expanded cybersecurity capabilities and new risk management enhancements delivering ever increasing operations team value.
  • Visibility and protection of an increasingly expanded list of Rail Tech systems empowering cybersecurity, rail operations, and maintenance teams.
  • Expanded array of security and operations technology integrations bringing deep rail context and context-aware recommendations throughout the organization.
  • Greater customer success and professional services capacity with regional based technical leaders supporting global customers in all time zones and global partners trained in deployment activities, including design, installation and testing, training activities, and support and maintenance.

The Rail Tech Security Platform empowers rail operations and security teams with automated, real-time Rail Tech visibility. It brings coordination and efficiency to combined rail operations and security team interactions, helps accelerate and prove compliance with industry and government requirements, and upgrades rail security and resilience to ensure safe and reliable rail operations.

The Rail Tech Security Platform brings unmatched Rail Tech visibility with deep rail operational context and mitigation guidance not found anywhere else, helping close the gap between internal rail operations and security teams.

Delivering New and Unmatched Value

With increasing Rail Tech complexity and widening attack surfaces, rail operators and the global regulatory landscape are demanding more innovative rail tech security, and Cylus is evolving to meet our customers’ growing needs. Rail cybersecurity and operations teams are turning to us as an integrated solution for visibility and protection across their Rail Tech environments. 

Rail operators, rail integrators, and global service providers trust Cylus to provide broad Rail Tech visibility and cybersecurity innovations to ensure safe and reliable operations. As cyber threats increase and rail leaders demand greater support to address rail tech security, Cylus’ mission to lead rail transport to a cyber-secure future continues to evolve. We are committed to supporting our current and future customers with a holistic and integrated Rail Tech Security Platform that helps them protect their strategic rail operations assets.

  1. ABI Research, “How Can Cybersecurity Vendors Meet the Multitude of Needs of the Railway Sector?”, February 7, 2023.
  2. Gartner, “Predicts 2023: Cyber-Physical Systems Security – Beyond Asset Discovery”, November 23, 2022.
Originally published
May 22, 2023
,
updated
May 22, 2023
.

Share this post