Metro Magazine, November 2020

TRANSIT NEWS New Mineta Transportation Institute MTI research assessed the readiness of agencies to understand mitigate and respond to the growing threat of cybersecurity Is the Transit Industry Prepared for the Cyber Revolution Policy Recommendation to Enhance Surface Transit Cyber Preparedness surveyed 90 transit agency technology leaders and found over 80 of agencies reported feeling prepared for a cybersecurity threat yet only 60 have a cybersecurity program in place Despite the U S Department of Homeland Security designating the Transportation System Sector as one of 16 critical infrastructure sectors whose disruption would have a debilitating effect on the nations security the report found most transit agencies which fall within this sector do not have many of the basic policies or personnel in place to respond to a cyber incident Other key findings included While 73 of respondents feel they have access to information to help implement a cybersecurity preparedness program only 60 have a cybersecurity response plan in place and 43 do not find their plan sufficient 47 of agencies reported auditing their cybersecurity program at least once a year Over 50 of agencies do not keep a log for longer than a year one of the most basic cybersecurity preparedness requirements 36 do not have a cyber disaster recovery plan 67 do not have a cyber crisis communications plan Fortunately there is an abundance of information and tools such as the Transportation Systems Sector TSS Cybersecurity Framework Implementation Guidance and accompanying workbook available to public transit agencies to support a cybersecurity program says the reports Principal Investigator Scott Belcher He goes on to describe how agencies that have become aware of the imminent threat have taken action to protect themselves from cyberattacks including seeking technical leadership from outside the transit industry and contracting out the management of personally identifiable information For most transit agencies resources for cybersecurity will remain scarce and thus there needs to be a collaborative effort from the federal government the industry and agency leadership to establish maintain and refine cybersecurity programs The research team emphasizes that the Federal Transit Administration should require transit organizations to adopt and implement minimum cybersecurity standards prior to receiving federal funding The team also recommends federal funds be allocated for the development of comprehensive cybersecurity preparedness plans and their implementation Industry trade associations should continue to develop refine and improve existing cybersecurity guidance to enable transit agencies to adequately prepare for the inevitable cyber disruption and maintain a ready approach in the event of an attack To view the report visit https transweb sjsu edu research 1939 Transit Industry Cyber Preparedness From top Getty iBrave Rendering courtesy of AECOM Transit Agencies Announce Completion of First Ever Automated Bus Specification The Automated Bus Consortium a collective of U S transit and transportation agencies formed to investigate the feasibility of implementing pilot automated bus projects announced the completion of the countrys first ever automated bus performance specification The specification combines the American Public Transportation Associations white book for standard bus specification with the new full size bus automated driving system requirements developed by AECOM which formed the consortium Its development marks a significant achievement of the Automated Bus Consortium which prepared the document with input from its own Bus Specification Technical Committee as well as through one on one meetings with interested bus suppliers The Technical Committee also incorporated the industrys perspectives on automated bus programs The specification phases in required automated bus capabilities over three stages with each stage providing a higher level of bus automation through software updates over a two year period The current schedule calls for an early 2021 RFP release to candidate bus manufacturers This significant step forward is just one of many for the consortium which also marked milestones in such areas as feasibility studies completion with risk analysis pilot project selection regulatory reviews financial planning and charging strategy development for each member agency A first of its kind collaborative approach to accelerating automated transit technologies deployment the consortium will combine the purchasing power and collaborative decision making of participating transit and transportation agencies nationwide Pilot projects will use full sized full speed buses enabling members to collectively demonstrate and use automated technologies in varied live service environments New Report Asks if Transit is Prepared for a Cyberattack 6 METRO MAGAZINE COM NOVEMBER 2020 For most transit agencies resources for cybersecurity will remain scarce