Transit Executives Driving Cyber Resilience: How to Build on That Momentum

CEO
Max Cybersecurity

Where to Start

Transit leaders across the United States are tackling the cybersecurity challenge head-on by balancing modernization efforts, operational demands, and an increasingly complex threat landscape. The good news? You don’t need to be a cybersecurity expert to lead effectively in this space. And in fact, many of today’s transit executives are already laying the groundwork for lasting resilience.

So, where should you focus next? Start with the policy. Reviewing and strengthening the agency’s cybersecurity policy, especially with an eye toward Operational Technology (OT), sends a clear signal: cybersecurity is a leadership priority. Pair that with a real-time asset inventory and a leadership-level resilience exercise, and you’ve taken three bold, achievable steps that can immediately improve visibility and strengthen your agency’s risk posture.

Strengthening Leadership and Alignment

Behind every secure and resilient transit system is a leadership team that understands its role in cybersecurity. While technical staff manage daily protections, executive oversight is what ensures long-term success. The most resilient agencies treat cybersecurity as more than a technical issue. They view it as an organizational imperative tied to service reliability, safety, and public trust.

We’re seeing more CEOs, general managers, and boards taking active roles in aligning departments, integrating cybersecurity into decision-making, and pushing for thoughtful, secure implementation of new technologies. This is where progress accelerates. When leadership and strategy go hand in hand it is a winning formula.

Five High-Impact Actions for Executive Leadership

1. Establish Real-Time Asset Visibility
A dynamic, continuously updated inventory of all IT and OT assets, from routers and control systems to fareboxes and cloud interfaces, is essential. This isn’t about one-time audits; it’s about maintaining live visibility into your infrastructure. Agencies aligned with TSA SD 1582 already know: visibility isn’t optional, it’s foundational.

2. Unify Cyber Resilience Planning Across Departments
Cyber incidents rarely stay in one lane. A breach can affect operations, customer service, safety, legal, and finance. Leading agencies are developing and regularly testing cross-functional cyber response plans that assign roles, clarify responsibilities, and strengthen coordination under pressure. Much like they would for a major service disruption or safety event.

3. Align Division-Level Policies with Enterprise Cyber Strategy
Cybersecurity strategy only works when it’s lived across the organization. That means ensuring each department, from procurement to facilities, is implementing policies that reflect the agency’s broader cybersecurity goals. Clear expectations, consistent vendor standards, and cross-department collaboration are what transform policy into practice.

4. Engage in Executive-Level Cyber Exercises
Across the United States, transit executives are participating in tabletop and functional cybersecurity exercises, from ransomware simulations to AI model drift scenarios, to stress-test their plans and sharpen decision-making. These exercises build readiness and give leaders the confidence to act decisively when needed.

5. Benchmark Using Sector–Relevant Maturity Standards
Many agencies are now using frameworks like the APTA Operational Technology Cybersecurity Maturity Framework (OT-CMF), NIST guidance, and TSA’s Security Directive 1582 as benchmarks. These standards help provide structure, identify gaps, and demonstrate accountability. This is especially true when third-party assessments are brought in for validation.

To support executive engagement, APTA has developed a 90-minute training course specifically designed for transit leaders. The course walks through real-world scenarios and connects directly to the Identify-Protect-Detect-Respond-Recover lifecycle. [https://learning.aptagateway.com/products/cybersecurity-fundamentals-for-senior-leadership]

In Conclusion

Cybersecurity is quickly becoming one of the most important factors in ensuring system reliability, maintaining public trust, and enabling innovation. Transit executives are rising to the challenge. They are asking better questions, demanding better visibility, and driving smarter alignment across departments.

The work is already underway. By continuing to invest in foundational steps such as policy ownership, cross-functional planning, and executive-level exercises, leaders are doing more than protecting infrastructure. They’re future-proofing their systems and building stronger, safer communities.

Cybersecurity is a team sport. And with strong leadership, the whole team plays better.

Expert Voices from the Field

“We often see gaps not because agencies aren’t working, but because leadership hasn’t aligned expectations with outcomes.”
– Robert Hampshire, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, USDOT

“In OT environments, security isn’t just cyber. Rather, it’s operational continuity. Transit executives must treat it like safety.”
– Joe Weiss, Managing Partner, Applied Control Solutions

“Resilience begins with asset visibility and policy unity. If you don’t know what’s connected, you’re already compromised.”
– Marty Edwards, Deputy CTO for OT/IoT, Tenable; Former ICS-CERT Director, DHS

“Cybersecurity issues can quickly become public safety issues. Cyber incidents at the control layer can delay trains, disable signaling, and threaten human lives.”
– Dr. Julius Smith, Chair, APTA Transit Cybersecurity Working Group (TCSWG); VP & CIO, DART