Proposal of the standard-based method for communication safety enhancement in railway signalling systems

Abstract

Safety-critical systems related to the railway communications are currently undergoing changes. Mechanical and electro-mechanical devices are being replaced by programmable electronics that are often controlled remotely via communication networks. Therefore designers and operators now not only have to contend with component failures and user errors, but also with the possibility that malicious entities are seeking to disrupt the services provided by their systems. Recognizing the safety-critical nature of the types of communications required in rail control operations, the communications infrastructure will be required to meet a number of safety requirements such as system faults, user errors and the robustness in the presence of malicious attackers who are willing to take determined action to interfere with the correct operation of a system. This paper discusses the safety strategies employed in the railway communications and proposes a security mechanism for the Korean railway communication system. We present the developed communication safety evaluation tool based on the proposed security mechanism and also evaluate its protecting capability against threats of masquerading, eavesdropping, and unauthorized message manipulation. © 2010 WIT Press.