Description

In this second Resilience, Security and Risk in Transport publication, and reflecting back to the first edition, it could be assumed that little would have changed in issues concerning risk, resilience and security during the course of one year. However looking at the plethora of media reports and other evidence over the preceding year on the series of recent global events, the world has been placed at a higher state of tension than it has been since the end of the Cold War. New and unexpected threats and challenges have emerged increasing personal, institutional and commercial safety and/or security threats in both domestic and international circumstances and environments.

Criminals, terrorist groups and malicious businesses and/or individuals are always ‘on the lookout’ for opportunities to expose than initiate attacks on gaps in any infrastructure – albeit physical or electronic. Physical systems are easier to safeguard against exploitation as they are visible and can be more readily addressed. This is not the case with electronic security and cyber security is becoming an increasingly important tool in the fight against organised crime and disaffected individuals. Sophisticated cyber threats can transcend borders with ease therefore critical security measures need to be in place to intervene in a discrete and unobtrusive manner.

Transport systems continue to be the preferred area of penetration as they represent the ‘soft underbelly’ targets for those with malicious intent. Physical or cyber-attacks allow the perpetrators to erroneously believe that the associated propaganda reinforces their cause and, notwithstanding the personal tragedies associated with such atrocities, the substantial disruption to operations, loss of revenue and negative effects on ‘brand reputation’ will have the desired long-lasting implications.

Criminals, terrorist groups and malicious businesses and/or individuals pose ongoing threats therefore any response needs to be proportionate, perpetually vigilant but ‘behind the scenes’. Cyber security measures are essential to match and counteract increasingly sophisticated threats; too many restrictions and the threats will have been proved successful - too little protection will encourage complacency and a ‘laissez-faire’ approach to preventing any inherent vulnerabilities.

This publication acts as a reminder of the scale of the problem and helps to explore the dynamic balance of protection which lies somewhere in the indistinct zone of the relationship between safety and security measures and the intrusion into personal and organisational freedom and unfettered access to physical or data infrastructure.

About the authors

Resilience, Security & Risk in Transport (Volume II) is a collaborative work comprising eight papers written by experts with specialist knowledge on the topics in question. All papers have been reviewed by a technical panel.

Book readership

Resilience, Security & Risk in Transport is an ideal book for postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students studying transport safety and cyber-security. It will also provide practising engineers with a thorough grounding in the core principles and design issues of transport security infrastructure.

Book contents