In public transport, digital and networked data has become indispensable. Today’s signalling systems, for example, would be impossible without it. However, as digitalisation increases, so do the risks that come along with it – which is why cyber security is becoming ever more important in public transport.
It is the responsibility of the transport companies to take precautions against and deal with cyberattacks. As part of its safety supervision responsibility, the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) helps to ensure that companies have adequate measures in place to prevent and deal with cyber risks. The FOT supports ongoing cyber security campaigns in this and other sectors, and does so by making use of existing platforms such as those of the Association of Public Transport (APT), RAILplus and Swissrail.
As a supervisory authority and regulator in this sector, the FOT focuses on the prevention of cyberattacks in public transport. It regularly exchanges information with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on cyber security topics and the current threat situation. The NCSC too is primarily concerned with prevention tasks, and places a focus on early detection and vulnerability identification. The NCSC is also the main contact point for reporting cyber incidents.
