Cyber risk assessment for new Hong Kong signalling system

Challenge

Hong Kong’s Disneyland Resort Line has operated as an independent shuttle service between Sunny Bay Station and the theme park since 2005. 

With the route approaching its 20-year mark, MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL) sought to replace the signalling technology with Perception Based Autonomous Control System (PB-TACS), a train-to-train Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) system supplied by Traffic Control Technology (TCT).

TCT is responsible for the design, development, testing and commissioning of PB-TACS, including subsystems such as on-board Automatic Train Control (ATC), trackside ATC, Automatic Train Supervision (ATS), Data Communication System (DCS) and Big Data Maintenance Support System (BDMSS). The DCS will provide bi-directional data communication functions between subsystems involving network switches, trackside Access Points (AP), security devices, etc. and support communications between subsystems, including those between on-board ATC and trackside ATC via WLAN and 5G.

The contract also mandates that the new system meets cyber-related standards and requirements such as IEC 62443-3-3.

Approach

TCT appointed Ricardo as its consulting partner to conduct risk assessment and pre-assessment of the signalling technology against IEC 62443-3-3 Security Level 3.

We brought together a team of local and international rail cyber security experts to develop a project-specific cyber risk assessment, commencing with a target of Security Level (SL-T) according to IEC 62443-3-2, before conducting pre-assessment for gap analysis of the existing security design against IEC 62443-3-3, accompanied by suggestions for further mitigation measures.

Results

The assessments undertaken by our teams will help TCT, and their client, MTRCL, gain a better understanding of cyber security standards and risk profiles, whilst also gaining insights into recommended measures and technologies to enhance operational efficiency and customer experience.

_{Picture credit: Sunny Bay Station on Disneyland Resort Line - taken by  Hui Lok Him, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons}