AI and the Cybersecurity Future of Trains: A Conversation with Cylus Co-Founder and CTO Miki Shifman

AI and the Cybersecurity Future of Trains: A Conversation with Cylus Co-Founder and CTO Miki Shifman

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping cybersecurity—not just for digital threats but also for critical physical infrastructure like railways. My conversation with Miki Shifman, Co-Founder and CTO of Cylus, underscored the urgent need to extend cybersecurity beyond traditional digital domains to protect transportation systems.


Railway Cybersecurity: A Growing Concern
Shifman, a cybersecurity expert and Israeli intelligence veteran, co-founded Cylus in 2017 to address vulnerabilities in railway systems. Historically, rail safety focused on mechanical redundancy and human oversight. But modern trains—autonomous, high-speed, and digitally connected—face unprecedented cyber risks. As Shifman put it, “The boundaries have been broken.”


Recent incidents highlight the severity. London’s railway shutdown last September exposed the economic and societal disruptions cyberattacks can cause. A similar event in New York’s subway system would ripple far beyond transportation, affecting healthcare and public safety.


Emerging Threats and AI’s Role
Railway cyber threats fall into two categories: availability threats that halt train operations and safety threats that could lead to collisions or derailments. Many railway systems lack adequate encryption and authentication, making vulnerabilities deeply embedded. AI accelerates these risks—lowering the expertise needed to execute sophisticated attacks. Tools like ChatGPT enable less-experienced hackers to gain insights into specialized rail protocols, expanding the pool of potential attackers.


Regulatory Response and AI-Powered Defense
With railways classified as critical infrastructure, regulatory bodies in the EU and U.S. are mandating stronger cybersecurity measures by 2025. However, these solutions must integrate carefully to avoid interfering with operational safety.

AI also strengthens defenses. Cylus uses AI to enhance threat detection, real-time monitoring, and anomaly detection while reducing false positives. AI boosts productivity across railway cybersecurity, from rapid prototyping to regulatory compliance automation. “AI helps turn compliance from a burden into an asset,” Shifman noted.


The Future of Railway Cybersecurity
Rail cybersecurity lags behind other critical infrastructure sectors, but AI provides an opportunity to leap forward. Organizations embracing AI-driven security will gain unprecedented protection—while those slow to adapt remain vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated threats.


When asked about AI’s future in rail security, Shifman admitted, “We’re still evolving our understanding. But ignoring AI simply isn’t an option. This technology changes the landscape weekly.” That mindset—alert, adaptable, and proactive—is exactly what the railway industry needs today.

Avsnitt(1160)

Ep238: David Weekly | Founder and CEO, Medcorder

Ep238: David Weekly | Founder and CEO, Medcorder

David Weekly is the founder & CEO of Medcorder, a free app to help patients and families better understand their doctors. He previously founded Ohana (exited to Facebook) and PBwiki (still running 15 years later) and has led product teams at Facebook and Google. David is the founding chairman of Hacker Dojo, a non-profit community center, and graduated from Stanford University with a CS degree as a President Scholar.  He lives in Redwood City, CA with his wife Rebecca and two sons Max and Cyrus.

3 Jan 202125min

Ep232: Ben Casnocha | Co-Founder and Partner of Village Global

Ep232: Ben Casnocha | Co-Founder and Partner of Village Global

Ben is a Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur, author, executive, and investor. He is a co-founder and partner at Village Global (a $100M VC fund) and is the co-author of two New York Times bestselling books: The Alliance: Managing Talent in the Networked Age and The Start-Up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career. Ben started and scaled several ventures, including an e-government software company, an online education business, and a management training business.

3 Jan 202121min

Ep224: Sharona Zablodovsky | Member in the Peoplehood Coalition

Ep224: Sharona Zablodovsky | Member in the Peoplehood Coalition

Sharona has worked in the NGO sector for more than a decade, focusing on the initiative, establishment, and project management on missions related to culture and to Israel and Diaspora Jewry relations. She holds a BA in Communications from the Open University of Israel, and an MA in Public Policy from Tel Aviv University. Sharona is a graduate of the World Zionist Organization’s Leadership Seminar Program, a mentor in the U.S. Embassy-supported Women Leaders in the Circles of Life women empowerment initiative, and a member of a few Leadership groups.

3 Jan 202121min

Ep230: Valentin Perez | Co-Founder of Monthly

Ep230: Valentin Perez | Co-Founder of Monthly

Valentin Perez is the co-founder of Monthly, a venture-backed, fast-growing company revolutionizing online education. They've partnered with some of the biggest creators, artists, and experts to create one-month online learning experiences. Valentin grew up in Cancun, Mexico, and currently lives in Los Angeles. Valentin loves to learn and create.

3 Jan 202125min

Ep212: Nadia Tatlow | CEO of Shift

Ep212: Nadia Tatlow | CEO of Shift

Nadia Tatlow is the CEO of Shift (tryshift.com). A passionate entrepreneur, marketer, and startup enthusiast, Nadia has taken the company from startup to scaleup with 40X ARR growth between 2018 and 2020. Nadia and her team are on a mission to make the world a more productive place by bringing focus and impact to each work day. Outside of work, Nadia enjoys exploring her home on the beautiful West Coast of Canada, traveling, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her friends and family.

3 Jan 202122min

Ep217: Yael Wissner-Levy | VP Communications at Lemonade

Ep217: Yael Wissner-Levy | VP Communications at Lemonade

Yael Wissner-Levy is the Vice President, Communications at Lemonade ($LMND) a digital insurance company powered by artificial intelligence and behavioral economics and driven by social good. Previously, Yael was a speechwriter and communications consultant for political and business leaders, having written for heads of state, CEOs of multibillion-dollar corporations, and non-governmental organizations. Prior to that, she worked as a journalist at various media outlets, including Ha'aretz and Israel's Channel 10 News, serving also as the channel's correspondent to the UK. Yael also worked with former Congressman Steve Israel (NY, Dem) in DC. She holds an MSc from the London School of Economics.

3 Jan 202123min

Ep222: Lilia Shirman | CEO of The Shirman Group

Ep222: Lilia Shirman | CEO of The Shirman Group

Lilia is a CEO, Author, Investor, and Board Advisor who drives revenue and shareholder value growth for B2B tech companies. As CEO of The Shirman Group, she has shaped Go-to-Market strategies that generated tens of millions in revenue for VMware, EMC, Amazon, Oracle, and others. She was a turnaround CMO at MariaDB, and led solutions marketing and strategic alliances at BEA. Her current focus is on the enterprise AI and data activation markets. Lilia literally wrote the book on customer-relevant go-to-market, 42 Rules for Growing Enterprise Revenue, She holds a BS from UC Berkeley and an MSE from Stanford so gets to cheer when anyone scores at the Big Game.

3 Jan 202121min

Ep233: Minette Norman | Vice President, Engineering Practice, Autodesk

Ep233: Minette Norman | Vice President, Engineering Practice, Autodesk

Minette brings decades of leadership experience in the software industry to her consulting business, which is focused on developing transformational leaders who create inclusive working environments. She was recently Vice President of Engineering Practice at Autodesk, where she transformed how Autodesk developed software. Responsible for influencing more than 3,500 engineers around the globe, she focused on state-of-the-art engineering practices while nurturing a collaborative and inclusive culture.

3 Jan 202121min

Populärt inom Business & ekonomi

framgangspodden
varvet
badfluence
uppgang-och-fall
svd-ledarredaktionen
rss-borsens-finest
avanzapodden
rss-kort-lang-analyspodden-fran-di
lastbilspodden
rss-dagen-med-di
rikatillsammans-om-privatekonomi-rikedom-i-livet
affarsvarlden
borsmorgon
tabberaset
fill-or-kill
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
dynastin
market-makers
rss-inga-dumma-fragor-om-pengar
borslunch-2