RailGuard Sentinel

This EU regulation introduces cybersecurity requirements for hardware and software products containing digital elements throughout their entire lifecycle. The Act obligates rolling stock solution manufacturers and suppliers to manage vulnerabilities, continuously identify security flaws (CVEs), and deliver regular updates. In practice, this means that every on-board system approved for operation must feature integrity control mechanisms, preventing the execution of unauthorized code or modified firmware.

The Act on the National Cybersecurity System divides organizations into essential and important entities. Railway operators are directly designated in the annex to the act as essential entities, requiring them to meet a comprehensive set of cybersecurity obligations. The Act requires operators to, among other things, conduct continuous, round-the-clock system monitoring, manage vulnerabilities, and promptly identify and report incidents. In practice, this creates a need to oversee both IT and OT environments, meaning implementing traffic monitoring, anomaly detection, and the identification of unauthorized communication attempts within vehicles.

The IEC 63452 standard defines specific cybersecurity requirements for rolling stock control systems and components. The standard focuses on the specifics of on-board networks, where the segregation of safety-critical control systems such as TCMS and signalling and communication systems (ERTMS / GSM-R / FRMCS) from passenger information systems is of paramount importance. Meeting the standard's requirements involves implementing advanced, continuous data transmission surveillance mechanisms capable of detecting anomalies in railway protocols while remaining fully passive and without affecting vehicle operational safety.

The IEC 62443 standard serves as the global foundation for industrial automation and control systems (IACS) security and directly targets component manufacturers, system integrators, and automation system owners, including railway operators and urban transit authorities. It defines secure software development lifecycle procedures, technical requirements for systems across various security levels, and comprehensively regulates risk management, vulnerability management, and continuous asset security monitoring.