IEC 63452 - Securing Digital Rails

IEC 63452 is an upcoming international standard being developed to address cybersecurity for railway applications.The TS 50701 technical specification, published by CENELEC in 2021, laid the groundwork and served as a key input for developing the upcoming IEC 63452 international standard on railway cybersecurity. IEC 63452 standard aims to enhance cybersecurity for rail signaling systems in the following ways:

Tailored Security Requirements:

IEC 63452 will provide specific cybersecurity requirements tailored for critical rail applications like signaling systems. This focused approach ensures appropriate security controls are implemented to mitigate threats unique to signaling infrastructure.

Lifecycle Cybersecurity Management:

A key emphasis is integrating cybersecurity throughout the entire system development lifecycle of rail signaling projects, from design to decommissioning.

Bridging Safety and Cybersecurity:

The standard aims to bridge the gap between physical safety requirements and digital security needs for safety-critical systems like signaling. This convergence prevents cyber threats from impacting operational safety and causing potential hazards.

Robust Security Controls:

IEC 63452 mandates implementing robust security controls like access control, network segmentation, system integrity protection, and security monitoring tailored for rail signaling environments.

Threat Detection and Response:

Clear procedures are established for detecting cyber threats targeting signaling systems, enabling reporting and investigation capabilities, and guiding effective incident response processes.

By providing tailored security requirements, lifecycle management, safety-security convergence, robust controls, and threat detection/response procedures specific to rail signaling systems, IEC 63452 aims to enhance the cyber resilience of this critical infrastructure against emerging cyber threats.The standard builds upon existing industrial cybersecurity practices from IEC 62443 and the European rail cybersecurity specification TS 50701, adapting them to the unique operational context and safety-critical nature of rail signaling applications