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(1165)

Ep587: Yair Benyamini | Co-founder and CEO,  Lendai

Ep587: Yair Benyamini | Co-founder and CEO, Lendai

Yair Benyamini is the Co-founder and CEO of Lendai. Prior to founding Lendai, Yair headed the Cross Border Transactions and the Business Development of one of Israel's leading law firms. In that capacity, he took part in global multi-million dollar transactions in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Yair has more than 15 years of experience leading large-scale operations, including in the IDF and several NGOs. Yair is also the Chairman of SpaceGirlz, a non-profit organization promoting space and science studies for young girls aiming to build the next generation of women scientists.

28 Sep 202121min

Ep585: Lotan Levkowitz | General Partner, Grove Ventures

Ep585: Lotan Levkowitz | General Partner, Grove Ventures

Lotan has been an early-stage technology investor since 2012, with a special interest in IoT, Digital Health, Trust and Safety, Cloud Infrastructure and Enterprise IT. He currently serves on the boards of ActiveFence, 3DSignals, Lumigo, RapidAPI, BeyondMinds and Navina. Lotan is also the founder of the Israeli Industrial IoT Forum and the II4 Conference. Prior to joining Grove Ventures, Lotan was a Strategic Consultant at TASC, an international management consultancy firm, where he focused on the Telecommunication sector. Lotan served as a commander in an elite Israeli Air Force Intelligence unit, where he was honored with an Award of Excellence. He holds a Bachelor of Law degree (LLB) and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree (BA) from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

28 Sep 202121min

Ep584: Chen Admati | Platform General Manager and VP product, Explorium

Ep584: Chen Admati | Platform General Manager and VP product, Explorium

Chen Admati, Platform General Manager and VP product @ Explorium. Explorium provides an External Data Platform that automatically discovers relevant data signals to improve advanced analytics and accelerate business outcomes. Prior to joining Explorium, Chen was a staff member at Intel’s AI internal unit and the founder of Intel® Pharma Analytics Platform. Chen holds a BSc. in Information System Engineering from Ben-Gurion University. Honorably listed in ’40 under 40’ by Globes magazine in 2018

27 Sep 202123min

Ep583: Robert Cohen | Managing Partner, Benson Oak Ventures

Ep583: Robert Cohen | Managing Partner, Benson Oak Ventures

Robert Cohen is Managing Director of Benson Oak Ventures, an early-stage VC fund based in Israel focused on B2C, Digital SMB and all things related to the passion economy (what it dubs "passionware").  Benson Oak has deployed capital across Europe, the US and Israel for 20 years, and Robert enjoys a deep understanding of the technology market for consumers and small businesses, including operational experience in building global brands and developing and scaling business models, including one of most successful venture capital investments in consumer security - AVG.   A dual US-Israeli citizen, Robert is originally from Philadelphia, spent 18 years in Prague before moving to Israel almost a decade ago.

27 Sep 202123min

Ep582: Yoni Shtein | CEO & Co-Founder, Laguna

Ep582: Yoni Shtein | CEO & Co-Founder, Laguna

Yoni is a serial entrepreneur who started his journey as a software engineer at Microsoft. Having completed his MBA at Harvard, Yoni joined RPX Corp as a founding member of the insurance business. After RPX went public, Yoni left RPX to co-found and merge a fund into Fortress Investment Group where he spent six years as an investor. Yoni moved to Israel and launched Laguna Health, a digital recovery assurance company, with his longtime friend and colleague from Microsoft Yael Peled Adam.

26 Sep 202119min

Ep581: Pini Yakuel | Founder and CEO, Optimove

Ep581: Pini Yakuel | Founder and CEO, Optimove

Pini Yakuel is the founder and CEO of Optimove, provider of the leading CRM Marketing platform. Pini’s extensive experience in analytics-driven marketing, business consulting and sales, along with his innovative approaches to entrepreneurship and business-building, have earned him recognition as a thought leader. Pini has led Optimove to become a market leader, with hundreds of brands using his company’s software and services to orchestrate and automate highly effective personalized CRM.

26 Sep 202125min

Ep580: Lior Shalev | CEO, Algaemor - Simpliigood

Ep580: Lior Shalev | CEO, Algaemor - Simpliigood

Lior Shalev is one of Israel’s most passionate voices for transforming society through the combination of tech and social entrepreneurship and promoting the double impact ecosystem in Israel. He is the CEO and co-founder of Algaemor an Agritech startup that grows fresh Spirulina –microalgae as a sustainable food source and plant-based protein. Algaemor is addressing the most fundamental global issues of the Foodtech and Agritech sectors: from malnutrition and food insecurity to the protein gap and implication of industrialized food.

25 Sep 202122min

Ep579: Vanessa Perumal | Managing Director, JT Communciation Solutions

Ep579: Vanessa Perumal | Managing Director, JT Communciation Solutions

Vanessa Perumal is a leading South African strategist,  former journalist,  media and communications specialist and social entrepreneur who is currently using her rare cancer to highlight the importance of resilience, community and African excellence during a time of unprecedented challenges for the world.

25 Sep 202123min

Populärt inom Business & ekonomi

framgangspodden
badfluence
varvet
rss-borsens-finest
svd-ledarredaktionen
avanzapodden
lastbilspodden
uppgang-och-fall
fill-or-kill
affarsvarlden
rss-inga-dumma-fragor-om-pengar
rss-dagen-med-di
borsmorgon
rss-kort-lang-analyspodden-fran-di
24fragor
bilar-med-sladd
rss-placerapodden
rss-veckans-trade
rss-en-rik-historia
tabberaset