A brief look at railroad communication vulnerabilities

Recent terrorist bombings of commuter trains in Madrid have shown that railroads still face attacks by terrorists. There are also increasing hacking attempts against all kinds of electronic systems. Since railroads are increasing their dependence on electronic systems, this presents a new way for railroads to be disrupted. This paper is a review of wireless communications used by railroads in the United States. We look at the protocols used and aspects of security in relation to these communications.