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(1163)

Ep449: Udi Nessimyan | CEO and Co-Founder, Sealed

Ep449: Udi Nessimyan | CEO and Co-Founder, Sealed

Udi Nessimyan takes a vision and makes it a reality through sound strategy development. As a savvy entrepreneur, He intuitively sees the threads of opportunity that wind through an organization, brings them together into a coherent whole, helps others extend their thinking, and drives material business advantage. He is an experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the Cloud, Cyber Security, and telecommunications industries. Skilled in Government, M&A’s, Public Cloud Services, and Sales and Pre-sales.

12 Juni 202121min

Ep448: Noga Kap | Managing Partner, i3 Equity Partners

Ep448: Noga Kap | Managing Partner, i3 Equity Partners

Ms. Noga Kap is bringing over twenty years of hands-on experience in executive positions in the high-tech industry as well as one of the most prominent women- investors in the Israeli ecosystem. Ms. Kap is Managing Partner of i3 Equity Partners, an early-stage Deep Tech-focused fund invested by the largest corporations such as Microsoft, Qualcomm, GE, Tata, and others.

11 Juni 202120min

Ep447: Christopher Coultas | Vice President of Product Innovation and Senior Leadership Consultant, Leadership Worth Following, LLC.

Ep447: Christopher Coultas | Vice President of Product Innovation and Senior Leadership Consultant, Leadership Worth Following, LLC.

Christopher Coultas is the Vice President of Product Innovation and a Senior Leadership Consultant at Leadership Worth Following, LLC. He personifies the scientist-practitioner model in the fast-growing field of industrial-organizational psychology. He has coached hundreds of leaders and dozens of teams on how to leverage enhanced self-awareness for optimal leadership impact. His book with Leadership Worth Following, Driven Not Drained: Discover Your Path to Career Happiness, Effectiveness, and Influence is a candid, engaging, and comprehensive look at both the science and practical application behind human behavior.

10 Juni 202121min

Ep446: Haim Carmel | Chief Technology Officer, HomeConnex

Ep446: Haim Carmel | Chief Technology Officer, HomeConnex

From my early days of programming, I was an entrepreneur and a software company owner. I finished my computer science bachelor's degree in 1999. since then, I've participated in many big projects for government offices, private sector companies and even sold one of them to a huge software company in the states. Nowadays I'm the head of the R&D  department at HomeConnex, a startup that was founded in 2015 as an idea to help to develop the low tech construction and building market. With great success, we already have thousands of users and most of the big construction companies in Israel are working with us.

9 Juni 202120min

Ep445: Jason Sundby | CEO/Chairman, Verde Technologies Partner, Atlas Capital Partners

Ep445: Jason Sundby | CEO/Chairman, Verde Technologies Partner, Atlas Capital Partners

Since 2015, Jason has served as CEO of Verde Environmental Technologies Inc., maker of the Deterra® Drug Deactivation and Disposal System. He has over 30 years of experience in operations, risk management, administration, and IT leadership. Sundby is a founding partner of Atlas Capital Partners, a venture capital firm investing in companies that are post-revenue, on the verge of rapid growth, and possessing a defensible competitive advantage. Sundby completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota and continued his education at the Harvard School of Public Health and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

8 Juni 202122min

Ep444: Irit Singer | VP of Marketing, Windward

Ep444: Irit Singer | VP of Marketing, Windward

Irit is a seasoned executive with a demonstrated history of developing and growing businesses in the high-tech industry for both B2B and B2C products. Currently, she is VP of marketing at Windward, the leading maritime AI company. Prior experiences include senior director at Microsoft, VP marketing at Here Technologies, Mobility division, and CMO at Mobli Media.

8 Juni 202121min

Ep442: Toot Shani | Co-founder and CEO, Sarona Partners

Ep442: Toot Shani | Co-founder and CEO, Sarona Partners

A thought leader in the startup and innovation arena, Toot is the co-founder and CEO of Sarona Partners, Israel's largest startup ecosystem. Previously, after selling her first business at age 24, she led the initiation and execution of massive Startup and economic development projects for organizations such as World Bank Group, European Commission, World Economic Forum, and others working with +5,000 startups across 4 continents.

7 Juni 202121min

Ep443: Gal Oz | CTO & Co-Founder, Pixellot

Ep443: Gal Oz | CTO & Co-Founder, Pixellot

Gal is the Co-Founder and CTO of Pixellot, the world-leading company of fully autonomous video and data production for sports events. Pixellot produces a new game around the globe every 30 seconds! He served for 10 years with an elite R&D unit in the Intelligence Corps of the IDF, during which Gal worked with a different visual platform to capture information, from UAV to satellites. Prior he was in the founding group of SportVU and served as the CEO and R&D Manager of the company until it was sold to a US-based company, STATS, in 2008.

7 Juni 202125min

Populärt inom Business & ekonomi

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