Transportation CI

Transportation is of the industries that is overlooked among the critical infrastructures, any
software component, food material, mail or even people need transportation to get to their
destination. It is critical to the proper functioning of almost all supply chains. Failure of
successful transportation can lead to a hampering or even halting of goods production. This
industry has a few elements in common with the other CI discussed from a cybersecurity
point of view. They are-
Wireless communications- Most transportation uses wired or wireless communication to
share information regarding their whereabouts and to receive information on the go.
Wireless is the preferred mode of connection since it is easy to deploy and cost effective.
However, this opens up a vulnerability since hackers can penetrate wireless networks easier
than wired networks. Since the frequencies of communication is closely monitored, and
users can only use a small range of the entire spectrum, hackers can easily target these
users.
GPS- Marine systems, Aviation industry and motor transport makes extensive use of GPS to
locate their position and destination. Since GPS uses satellites to triangulate the user’s
position, even minor changes in the atmosphere can adversely affect GPS capabilities and
cause loss of material.

The performance of companies in the transportation industry is highly sensitive to

fluctuations in company earnings and the price of transportation services. Main factors
affecting company earnings include fuel costs, labor costs and price of maintenance. Hence,
the economic aspect makes a huge impact on this CI.
Policy also plays a defining role for this CI since transportation essentially means getting
from one place to another and whether it be interstate or international, the transport
industry must always deal with change in policies and regulations from one place to
another. For example, there are sometimes blurred borders on the seas and some marine
transport may unintentionally cross those borders and face the law.