Hackers attack Britain's railways four times in a year

The safety of the UK’s railways was called into question this week, after a private security firm alleged state-sponsored foreign hackers broke into the network’s digital infrastructure four times in the last 12 months.

Darktrace - the private firm which guards much of the country’s railways - discovered the four recent attacks, with their chief technology officer Dave Palmer telling the Telegraph that determined threats would always find a way in.

Most of Britain’s rail systems still use analogue technology, which cannot be hacked, but it is being gradually replaced by the European Rail Traffic Management System, due for full introduction in 2018.

Kaspersky Lab security researcher Sergey Gordechik told Sky News the ability of cybercriminals to cause lasting damage to such internet-connected systems was “scary”.

“'We see at the moment that state sponsored attackers are already inside critical infrastructure.

“Hackers can get access not only to simple things like online information boards or in-train entertainment, but also to computer systems which manage trains by itself, which manage signals, manage points, and in this case, if they have enough knowledge, then they can create real disaster related to train safety,” Gordechik told the broadcaster.

Network Rail - the state entity which owns and manages the country’s mainline infrastructure - reassured passengers, saying Britain’s railways were the safest in Europe, with cybersecurity a key part of its plan for introducing digital technology.

“Safety is our top priority, which is why we work closely with government, the security services, our partners and suppliers in the rail industry and security specialists to combat cyber threats.”