Systems that control operations of vehicles, whether they are aircraft, ships, trains, trucks, or cars, are attractive targets for threat actors.  The new reality of cloud-connectivity at the edge and the immense functional benefits of leveraging it, require intensive communications and data transfer between IT and OT layers. This high level of integration requires an advanced and comprehensive approach to security that includes identity and access management (IaM), end-point and edge-device security, and implementation of cloud security best-practices that are specifically tailored to the specific operational environment, in order to prevent unauthorized access and takeover attacks.

Logistics and transportation entities generate and manage an abundance of sensitive and operationally critical data that must be protected. This data can include shipment details, customer information, and operational parameters. This data is attractive to threat actors who are looking to profit from ransomware attacks and/or disrupt operations. Implementation of secure data storage practices, strong encryption methods and data access management are critical.

Logistics and transportation operations require digital integrations between multiple entities. This creates a significant digital supply chain risk that needs to be managed.  Security policies and procedures need to cover supply chain security and auditing. All points of digital connectivity with third parties need to be secured and monitored.

Transportation and logistics organizations need to ensure compliance with globally accepted standards from multiple standards bodies, according to the type of transportation they manage. Airline cybersecurity is governed by the IATA, ICAO and TSA. Maritime security is governed by the IACS, IMO and ISPS. Rail security is governed by the IEC, TSA and CENELEC. Road vehicle cyber security is governed by the ISO and SAE.

The transportation and logistics sector is also guided by more generic regulations such as NIST, ISO/IEC 27001, and regional standards such as NIS2 in Europe. Transportation is classified as an essential entity in NIS2, so transportation entities are subject to heavy penalties for non-compliance.

When assessing their cybersecurity posture, logistics and transportation entities need to understand the regulations that apply to them and take proactive steps to close security gaps.