Security risk SBB will soon be rid of Russian software
Due to possible cyber attacks and fears of failure, SBB has been working on new software to replace its Russian software for two years. This has cost more effort and money than expected.
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- At the end of 2022, SBB decided to replace the track measurement systems supplied by the Russian company Infotrans.
- In doing so, the company wants to minimize potential safety risks and dependencies, especially in the context of the Russia sanctions.
- The switch to its own system was complex and more expensive than planned due to a lack of expertise in Switzerland.
With the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the threat of possible cyber attacks from Russia has increasingly become the focus of Western countries. These fears were recently underpinned by a wave of hacker attacks from Russia in the run-up to the Ukraine conference on the Bürgenstock. Against this backdrop, concerns about dependence on Russian technologies are also growing in Switzerland.
Over two years ago, the Swiss government expressed concern about the use of Russian software at the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB). At the time, the railroad company was using systems from the Russian company Infotrans, which are essential for track measurement and the identification of faults on the rails. This dependency entailed potential risks, as the NZZ reported at the time: on the one hand, working with a Russian supplier could restrict services, and on the other, there was a risk of infiltration through cyber attacks.
Exceptional approval from Seco was necessary
As a result of this discussion, SBB has taken steps to part with the Russian software. A spokesperson for the company confirmed to Blick that the decision to replace all Infotrans systems was made at the end of 2022. However, this decision had nothing to do with the media coverage.
Although no data recorded by the systems was transferred to Russian servers, SBB still saw risks, particularly in terms of reliability. This risk should be minimized by replacing the Russian software.
The decision to replace the Russian software was made in the wake of the sanctions that Switzerland adopted from the European Union in spring 2022. In order to continue using the Infotrans systems until the changeover, SBB even needed an exceptional permit from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco).
Additional costs of just under one million
However, replacing the Russian software proved to be more complex and costly than originally anticipated. As Switzerland lacks the necessary expertise, the system supplied by Infotrans is the most technologically advanced on the market. SBB had to make considerable efforts to develop its own, equally functional system. This new system is now ready for use and will gradually replace the Infotrans solutions.
The original cost estimate for the project was around two million Swiss francs. However, due to a lack of experience and expertise at the start of the project, additional costs of around 900,000 francs are now to be expected.
Despite the additional financial burden, SBB assures that the costs for its own system will be amortized within the next five years. This is because, regardless of current developments, the positioning systems would have had to be replaced anyway. In the long term, the rail group even expects to make savings.
