Steering clear of disruption: Strategic cybersecurity budgeting for transit agencies

A staggering 186 percent year-over-year increase in ransomware attacks has made cybersecurity a frontline crisis for the transit industry.

According to research from Check Point, the transportation agencies that keep communities connected are prime targets for cybercriminals. The consequences are not merely technical. They are also public and operational, delaying trains, disabling fare gates, and compromising passenger safety. This escalating threat leaves executives facing a difficult question: Are we spending enough and are we directing those funds wisely? Answering this requires moving beyond traditional budgeting and adopting a strategic, data-driven approach that links every dollar to measurable resilience outcomes.

Too often, cybersecurity budgets are shaped by last year’s numbers instead of this year’s risks. This incremental approach cannot keep pace with evolving adversary tactics, new technologies, or the growing convergence of IT and OT systems. Benchmarking offers a more strategic alternative. It provides a data-backed reference point to determine whether investments align with both program maturity and operational complexity.

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