Cybersecurity will be at the forefront during the “How to Make Sure That You Protected Against and Prepared to Respond to Cybersecurity Attack” at the inaugural Public Transit Conference (PTC), which will be held in conjunction with the Government Fleet Expo and Conference (GFX) in Louisville, Ky., May 7-10.

San Francisco and St. Louis are just two transit agencies who have been hit by recent cyber attacks, and as technology becomes an even bigger part of delivering a high-end customer experience, now is the time to take your cybersecurity seriously.

This informative session, moderated by METRO’s Executive Editor Alex Roman, will feature Scott Belcher, executive director for ACES Mobility Coalition; Todd Chollet, risk advisor and cyber practice leader at Sunstar Insurance Group; and Jeff Nelson, CEO and managing director for Rock Island, Ill.’s MetroLINK.

Cybersecurity at the Forefront of Transit

In 2020, the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) did a study, “Is the Transit Industry Prepared for the Cyber Revolution? Policy Recommendation to Enhance Surface Transit Cyber Preparedness,” where they surveyed 90 transit agency technology leaders and found over 80% of agencies reported feeling prepared for a cybersecurity threat, yet only 60% had a cybersecurity program in place.

Despite the U.S. Department of Homeland Security designating the Transportation System Sector as one of 16 critical infrastructure sectors whose disruption would have a debilitating effect on the nation’s security, the report found most transit agencies, which fall within this sector, do not have many of the basic policies or personnel in place to respond to a cyber incident.

Other key findings included:

• While 73% of respondents feel they have access to information to help implement a cybersecurity preparedness program, only 60% have a cybersecurity response plan in place, and 43% do not find their plan sufficient.

• 47% of agencies reported auditing their cybersecurity program at least once a year.

• Over 50% of agencies do not keep a log for longer than a year — one of the most basic cybersecurity preparedness requirements.

• 36% do not have a cyber disaster recovery plan.

• 67% do not have a cyber crisis communications plan.

The need for an increased cybersecurity has never been greater, but there are still many transit agencies who may not know where to start. This session will focus on best practices for ensuring that your agency is both protected and can respond to potential cyber attacks.

PTC at GFX

Cybersecurity joins automated vehicles and employee recruiting/retention as just some of the topics on tap for PTC, which is hosted by METRO Magazine.

Registration is now open for this one-of-a-kind event. Save $200 with the Early Bird discount until April 5, 2024.

Stay tuned for even more announcements about the PTC’s educational program, the shared show floor with GFX, and much more.