Transportation

Our nation relies on a safe and secure transportation to move people and goods. Yet, the industry faces cybersecurity threats which could impact our ability to rely on aviation, trucks, automobiles, railways, and maritime transportation. Like other industries, transportation has increasingly leveraged digital systems to drive efficiencies and streamline experiences for both employees and passengers. While this certainly has tremendous benefits, cyberattacks continue to rise, and the need to protect passengers, goods, and sensitive data has become a critical priority.

Leaders in the transportation sector must work with experts in IT services to advance cybersecurity. As a trusted managed IT service provider specializing in data security, we can oversee the full scope of your transportation company’s IT needs while creating comprehensive, customized security solutions.

Large transportation agencies are stopping more cyberthreats than ever before, but smaller outfits are just as likely to be targets. In fact, small to midsize organizations are often sought out by cybercriminals, simply for the fact that these agencies are less likely to have sufficient cybersecurity measures in place.

Indeed, while some efforts are being made to address risks, the transportation sector overall lags behind when it comes to cybersecurity. To address this issue, the federal government is amplifying efforts to regulate the sector through initiatives such as the Department of Transportation FY 22-26, which emphasizes the improvement of cybersecurity and protection of the public’s private data. The plan encompasses the strengthening of the transportation system’s resilience to protect it from disruption from cyberattacks.

In 2021, Executive Order 14028 was also formed, with the core focus of improving the nation’s cybersecurity. Clearly, the regulatory landscape for transportation is shifting, and now is the time to prepare for tighter cybersecurity policies.

While it’s clear that cybersecurity needs to take priority within transportation, there are certain challenges within the sector that allow vulnerabilities to persist. For one, transportation organizations have not historically had security teams in place to safeguard their digital assets, so there tends to be a skills gap when it comes to cybersecurity. Hackers and other cybercriminals have recognized this weakness and have acted on it, with the sector seeing an increasing number of ransomware and other types of attacks in recent years.

Another challenge lies in the fact that authorities often discourage organizations from paying ransom fees. This leaves transportation companies in both the public and private sector in a difficult position. In many cases, paying a ransom seems like the obvious solution when faced with the threat of data leaks or service outages. Yet, authorities note that funding extortionists allows their criminal behavior to persist.

Moreover, transportation companies have long prioritized physical safety and security, and for good reason. As a natural result, cybersecurity has taken a backseat. With Digital Transformation, however, transportation is relying on technology much more. Data security is therefore no longer an optional pursuit; it’s become central to the safety and security of passengers and goods.

While the challenges of cybersecurity in transportation can’t be avoided altogether, the best solution is to stop attacks from happening in the first place. To do so, transportation companies need a strong, dependable IT infrastructure. This extensive IT environment must also be managed with technical expertise. At the same time, solutions must be economical, as the transportation sector often faces significant budgetary constraints.

IT ArchiTeks offers effective IT management and cybersecurity to keep your small to midsize transportation company running smoothly. We offer comprehensive services in three core pillars of IT management:

• Monitoring
• Maintenance
• Support

We know that many transportation companies operate around the clock, and your business depends on a secure, reliable network. For this reason, we offer 24×7 emergency after-hours support to ensure your company gets help when it’s needed most.

Our team of IT and cybersecurity experts will handle all of the hardware and software elements of your IT ecosystem, including servers and network devices. While our services can be customized to meet the needs of each organization, some of our most popular services include:

• Help desk and support
• Software updates and patch management
• Security systems management (anti-virus, anti-malware, and others)
• File sharing management
• Disaster management, including data backup and recovery
• Online asset management
• Microsoft SQL performance tuning and maintenance
• Azure security audit
• On-premise to cloud migrations

Through our comprehensive remote monitoring and IT management systems, we can meet the needs of any transportation company. Allow us to develop customized solutions to help your organization become safer, more efficient, and compliant. Contact us for more information.