D.C. Metro Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks

The inspector general believes D.C.'s transportation system is at a higher risk of cybersecurity attacks.

• By Sydny Shepard
• Apr 30, 2019

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Inspector General Geoff Cherrington said in an interview on Monday that Washington D.C.'s transportation system is at a higher risk of cybersecurity attacks.

"Any transportation system in any city can be vulnerable, but in particular in D.C., as you know, there's a lot of targets," Cherrington told The Hill. "Anytime that any part of a network is attached to anything, particularly a rail car, and can be controlled outside of the WMATA system, it could be potentially a threat."

The state-owned China Railway Rolling Stock Corps (CRRC) involvement in the U.S. train industry has raised concerns over potential cyber attacks from China. 

The Washington Post reported this month that some experts have warned that China could use transit rail cars to carry out cyber espionage, though the newspaper said CRRC called that "ludicrous."

The CRRC has made inroads in the U.S. freight rail industry in recent years by producing rail cars for transit systems in cities like Los Angeles and Chicago.

The Metro has vowed to hire additional cybersecurity personnel to ensure that proper procedures and precautions are put in place to deal with cybersecurity.