Ensuring Cyber Security in Indian Railways’ ICT Systems

Every time a passenger books a Tatkal ticket, a freight operator tracks a rake, or a station master updates train schedules, they are tapping into one of the world’s largest ICT networks. Behind this seamless experience lies a complex web of servers, databases, and communication systems that need constant protection. A single breach could disrupt millions of journeys, compromise sensitive data, and shake public trust. That’s why cyber security has become as essential to the railways as tracks and signals themselves.

Why cyber security matters for Indian Railways 🔗

Indian Railways runs mission-critical ICT systems that touch nearly every aspect of its operations. The Passenger Reservation System (PRS) handles ticket bookings for millions daily, the Freight Operations Information System (FOIS) tracks goods movement across the country, and various Management Information Systems (MIS) support decision-making at every level. These are classified as critical information infrastructure, and any compromise carries consequences far beyond a single delayed train.

The threat landscape has grown sharper over the years. Global railway networks have faced ransomware attacks, data leaks, and malware intrusions that expose how attractive these systems are to attackers. A notable example involved the “Indian Rail” mobile app, where an exposed Firebase database leaked over 2.3 million records containing emails, usernames, and plain-text passwords. Such incidents highlight why a robust, layered defence is non-negotiable.

CERT-Rail: The sectoral guardian of rail cyber security 🔗

To coordinate cyber defence across its sprawling digital footprint, Indian Railways set up a dedicated sectoral Computer Emergency Response Team known as CERT-Rail. This body functions as the nerve centre for protecting the railway’s critical information systems and works closely with the national-level CERT-In and the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC).

Under the governance structure, the Railway Board has nominated an Executive Director as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for Indian Railways, supported by a Deputy CISO. An Information Security Steering Committee (ISSC), chaired by a Board Member and including representatives from NCIIPC, oversees the broader strategy. CERT-Rail itself hosts an awareness portal on the Railways intranet and publishes advisories that reach officials across zones and divisions.

Core functions of CERT-Rail 🔗

CERT-Rail’s mandate spans four broad areas. The first is security awareness, which aims to build a culture where every employee understands phishing risks, password hygiene, and safe data handling. The second is training, both in-house and through partner agencies. The third is incident response, ensuring that when something goes wrong, there is a clear playbook to contain, investigate, and recover. The fourth is vulnerability assessment, which involves proactive audits to find weaknesses before attackers do.

Training efforts have scaled meaningfully in recent years. Through C-DAC and MeitY’s Cyber Surakshit Bharat Programme, around 2,800 railway personnel have undergone generic cyber security training on virtual mode, with senior officials nominated for deeper CISO-level sessions. C-DAC has also been engaged to conduct cyber audits of major systems including ICMS, FOIS, PRS, IRCTC, Electronic Interlocking, TCAS, SCADA, COA, and TMS.

A multi-layered approach to ICT security 🔗

Securing a network as varied as Indian Railways’ cannot be done with a single tool or policy. The strategy unfolds across hardware, operating systems, networks, and applications, with each layer reinforcing the others.

Authentication and authorization 🔗

Authentication verifies that a user is who they claim to be, while authorization decides what that user is allowed to do. Railways has been moving towards stronger identity checks, including multi-factor authentication that pairs passwords with a one-time code or biometric step. A recent and visible example is the rollout of Aadhaar-based OTP verification for online Tatkal bookings, which was already operational in 322 trains as of early December 2025. This step helps enforce user uniqueness and cuts down on fake accounts.

Authorization typically runs on role-based access control (RBAC). A booking clerk, a freight manager, and a network engineer each see only the data and functions relevant to their work. This principle of least privilege keeps the blast radius small if any single account is compromised.

Data confidentiality and integrity 🔗

Confidentiality keeps sensitive information, such as passenger details and operational data, hidden from unauthorised eyes. End-to-end encryption and secure data centre practices are central here. The reservation system, for instance, is hosted in a dedicated, access-controlled Data Centre secured through CCTV surveillance and end-to-end encryption, and is certified under ISO 27001 Information Security Management System standards.

Integrity ensures that data cannot be tampered with undetected. Hash functions, digital signatures, and checksums help confirm that records, from a PNR entry to a freight consignment update, have not been altered in transit or at rest.

Hardware, operating system, and network security 🔗

At the hardware level, physical access controls, tamper-evident equipment, and secure data centre design prevent attackers from simply walking up to a server. At the operating system level, the focus is on using hardened, patched, and supported systems, with administrator privileges tightly restricted.

Network security is where most of the heavy lifting happens. The ticketing platform alone uses multiple protective layers such as network firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, application delivery controllers, and web application firewalls. Anti-bot solutions like AKAMAI filter out automated scripts, while segmentation keeps sensitive operational networks separated from general-purpose corporate or passenger-facing systems.

Application-level security 🔗

Applications are the front door for most users and therefore a favourite target. Controls like CAPTCHAs, input validation, session management, and secure coding practices help blunt common attacks such as credential stuffing, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting. Regular application-level audits by CERT-In-empanelled agencies add an independent check on these defences.

Regular updates, patching, and extensive logging 🔗

Attackers often exploit known weaknesses for which patches already exist. A disciplined patch management cycle, covering operating systems, databases, and applications, closes these windows quickly. Railways’ IT Security Policy framework, along with office orders dealing with acceptable email usage and cyber incident handling, creates the rules that keep these routines consistent across zones.

Logging is the quiet workhorse of cyber defence. Every login attempt, configuration change, and unusual traffic spike leaves a trail. These logs feed three important functions: incident detection, where unusual patterns trigger alerts; forensic analysis, where investigators can reconstruct what happened; and compliance, where records prove that controls are working as designed. On the ticketing side, an on-premises security team continuously monitors system security logs, supported by integration with CERT-In’s Threat and Situational Awareness Projects and honeypot sensors that study attacker behaviour.

Threat monitoring and intelligence partnerships 🔗

No single organisation can watch the entire threat landscape alone. Railways relies on partnerships with national agencies and specialist providers. RailTel Corporation of India provides comprehensive cyber threat intelligence services, including take-down services, threat monitoring, deep and dark web surveillance, and digital risk protection. CERT-In and NCIIPC continuously monitor internet traffic associated with ticketing and other critical services to detect and block attacks early.

The scale of these efforts is reflected in recent numbers. Around 3.03 crore suspicious user IDs were deactivated in 2025 following large-scale account revalidation. Complaints for suspiciously booked PNRs have also been filed on the National Cyber Crime Portal, showing that enforcement goes hand-in-hand with technical defence.

Persistent challenges and the road ahead 🔗

Even with these measures in place, the task is never complete. Railway systems carry a long legacy of operational technology that was never designed with internet-era threats in mind. A European sectoral study found that cryptography is among the hardest measures to deploy on legacy OT systems, with only around 24 per cent coverage, while detection and log correlation also lag at 31 per cent each. Indian Railways faces similar pressures: balancing the modernisation of signalling, traction, and control systems with the need to keep trains running safely and affordably.

New risks, such as hybrid threats that combine cyber operations with physical or disinformation campaigns, mean defence has to evolve continuously. Investments in security operations centres, cyber audits of systems like TCAS and SCADA, and the steady rollout of policies under the IT Security Policy framework maintained by CRIS under the Ministry of Railways are shaping a more resilient posture.

What do you think? How can railways strike the right balance between offering frictionless digital services and enforcing strong cyber security controls? And as everyday passengers, what simple habits can we adopt to avoid becoming the weak link in this vast ICT chain?

References

1. https://www.railway-cybersecurity.com/Railway_cybersecurity.html
2. https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/d8files/event-documents/Apr29-05_India.pdf
3. https://ddnews.gov.in/en/indian-railways-enhances-ticketing-system-with-stronger-cyber-security-aadhaar-based-verification/
4. https://kashmirdespatch.com/indian-railways-strengthens-ticket-reservation-system-with-robust-cyber-security/
5. https://www.constructionworld.in/transport-infrastructure/metro-rail-and-railways-infrastructure/railways-boosts-cyber-security-and-fairness-in-ticket-bookings/83033
6. https://thenewsmill.com/2026/02/railways-deactivate-3-03-crore-suspicious-user-ids-using-aadhaar-authentication-in-2025/
7. https://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/view_section.jsp?id=0%2C1%2C304%2C366%2C548%2C669&lang=0