New pathways must be properly secured, based on their individual characteristics

It was reported that General Sir Christopher Deverell has warned that the UK's traffic control systems are under threat from cyber attack, with road systems one of several potential points that could be targeted by countries including Russia.

Michael Fabien, principal consultant at Synopsys, said: "With the increase in connectivity comes an increase in risk. Any time new pathways to these systems are added, they must be properly secured, based on their individual characteristics following a risk-based approach.

"With the increase in risk, the opportunity for directed cyber attacks also increases. Potential attackers range from hobbyists to nation-states, disrupting infrastructure. Now, the actual risk versus the perceived risk is complete speculation and is about as difficult to predict as the next location lightning will strike. That said, the precedent for infrastructure disruption as a powerful means of attack has already been set globally.

"What we can take away as a positive is that officials are aware of the potential risks, and we can hope they are actively pursuing remediation programs to improve the security of their operations, keeping the UK’s core infrastructure safe."