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Frauscher Marketing
Aug 06, 2026 | 7 min read
Railway systems are becoming more connected every year, and with that connectivity comes a shared responsibility for cybersecurity across the entire supply chain. To understand what this shift means in practice, we sat down with Florian Einböck, Head of Portfolio Strategy at Frauscher Sensor Technology. Following Frauscher's recent certification to IEC 62443-4-1:2018 for its Secure Development Lifecycle, issued by TÜV Süd on 7 May 2026, Florian shares his thoughts on what the railway industry will face going forward, and how suppliers such as Frauscher approach cybersecurity today.
Railway networks are moving toward distributed system architectures, open network communication, and real-time data exchange between operational technology and IT environments. Whilethese changes increase efficiency, they also increase the number of elements that need to be protected. It is s no longer sufficient for one party in the supply chain to take responsibility for cybersecurity. Manufacturers need to build protections into products from the earliest design stages, integrators need to carry that protection through into the finished installation, and operators need organizational measures like access control and patch management to keep systems secure over their lifetime.
This shift is also reflected in regulation. The EU Cyber Resilience Act, which went into effect in December 2024, introduces mandatory cybersecurity requirements for products with digital elements placed on the EU market. Reporting obligations for actively exploited vulnerabilities apply as of September 11, 2026, while the remaining core obligations—including essential security requirements, technical documentation and CE marking—will apply beginning December 2027. Railway-specific standards such as IEC 62443 and its derivation TS 50701 translate these requirements into concrete measures suited to safety-critical environments.
Digital signaling with IP-based control of field elements is a key driver for increasing capacity at a lower total cost of ownership, and for higher availability through predictive maintenance. We have been developing our portfolio in this direction for years, as cybersecurity must be a reliable, built-in part of these new architectures from the outset.
Frauscher's focus on cybersecurity grew as the company extended its portfolio beyond field elements into software and networkbased solutions, including Frauscher Insights and Frauscher Connect. Secure network communication has always been a core objective, with a broader focus on cybersecurity intensifying with developments across the railway industry and beyond. Over the years, Frauscher has accumulated comprehensive in-house expertise supported by a dedicated Product Security & Network Team. This team is responsible for cybersecurity protections across the full product lifecycle, including vulnerability management and penetration testing.
IEC 62443-4-1 confirms that our development process addresses cybersecurity at every stage. It considers three core principles: security by design, so relevant security factors are considered and documented from the outset; security by default, meaning products are delivered with secure configurations and settings; and security in implementation, which covers the testing and documentation needed to operate a system securely.
Vulnerabilities identified in released products are handled by Frauscher's Product Security Incident Response Team (PSIRT), which in turn publishes corresponding security advisories on the Frauscher PSIRT page on our website. External researchers can also report findings directly to the PSIRT, reinforcing a transparent and collaborative approach to security disclosure.
An important part of this work is applying current expectations to existing products as well as new ones. For example, the Frauscher Advanced Counter FAdC, was developed before security-by-design principles became standard practice; however, it can still be brought up to current cybersecurity expectations without redesigning its safety-critical core.
At Frauscher, we see ourselves as an active part of the railway cybersecurity community, not simply a company responding to new regulations. Active engagement with specialists from various areas directly influences how we develop our products. New solutions are built to be cybersecure by design from the outset, an objective that extends across our whole portfolio.
This reflects a broader positioning: Frauscher aims to be a partner ready to engage with customers, integrators and industry bodies regarding cybersecurity. We strive to anticipate and react to challenges that digitalization brings to the railway sector, rather than simply meeting minimum requirements as they arise.
With IEC 62443-4-1 certification in place and ongoing networking in industry standards bodies, Frauscher is positioned to support customers through a regulatory landscape that is still taking shape—while keeping safety and security at the core of every new development.
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Interested in how Frauscher's Secure Development Lifecycle can support your project's cybersecurity requirements?
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Get in touch with our team!
Interested in how Frauscher's Secure Development Lifecycle can support your project's cybersecurity requirements?
