“The recent attacks on computer networks at health locations in Britain, Russia’s interior ministry, the Spanish telecom giant Telefonica and the US delivery firm FedEx, as well as organisations in Sweden, Germany and around the world has once again raised the issue of cyber security.
“Railway control and information systems are becoming more connected, and are therefore exposed to cyber-attacks. In other industries, businesses attacks on critical infrastructures have emerged as serious and disruptive threats. Tailor-made trojans and malware have appeared that can sabotage, collect information, or hold organisations to ransom.
“The latest software attacks exploited a flaw in the Windows XP operating system exposed in documents leaked from the US National Security Agency. A technique known as ransomware locks users’ files unless they pay the attackers a designated sum in the virtual currency Bitcoin.
“But, on this occasion, did it affect rail, and what are the risks?…”