Stealth-mode startup announced that it has successfully completed its first round of funding, developing groundbreaking cybersecurity solutions for railways. With Cervello, railway operators can be better protected against cyber threats to their signaling systems and operation.
Cervello, an Israel-based company focused on securing railways against cyber-attacks, has raised 4.5 Million Dollars during a seed funding round. The investment will accelerate the company’s technology and continue its expansion into international markets. Investors include the venture capitals North First Ventures of Israel and Awz Ventures of Canada, along with the founder of Comsec Group, Nissim Bar-El.
Cervello was founded in 2017 by veterans of the IDF Elite Technology & Intelligence Units, Roie Onn, Shaked Kafzan and Nadav Avidan – all three are graduates of The Zell Entrepreneurship Program at IDC Herzliya. Cervello is addressing inherent security vulnerabilities and exploits in the critical systems which railway companies rely on. Utilizing proprietary and railway best practices to predict and identify cyber threats, Cervello helps answering one of the most challenging questions in the railway industry to date, “Is the railway operator currently facing a cyber-attack or malicious activity in its operational network?”
“As operators further digitize their infrastructures, the railway industry is adopting an active approach towards both the security of its critical systems and international compliance,” says Roie Onn, Cervello CEO. “The Cervello Dashboard provides operators with full visibility of their railway signaling systems and critical assets and alerts on cyber incidents in the day to day operation. The solution can be either added to support existing rail equipment or installed during the manufacturing and design process”.
An alarming railway-hacking trend in recent years may lead to catastrophes such as trains derailment, taking over trains for ransom, and publicly embarrassing operators. As the intensity of various attacks increases, disruption of service and damage to goodwill may lead to tragic injuries or even the loss of human lives. Lacking a focused railway-specific cybersecurity platform, operators are seeking effective tools to detect malicious activity and cyberattacks in their operational networks to ensure the integrity of their safety systems and services. Cybersecurity solutions, originally developed for other industries, are insufficient.
Cervello preserves the reputation of railway operators by focusing on the safety of passengers and commercial entities relying on freight trains. Delivering live network status and notifications of any cyber activity in the operator’s signaling system, this deep technology creates a proactive coverage of the critical assets, securing the core of the rail operation and safety measures.
Israel Baron, the former CISO (Cyber Director) of Israel Railways, is now directing the company’s business development activity. He states “I decided to join Cervello because it is offering the most innovative, qualitative, and efficient solutions for successfully confronting the cyber threats to the railway industry”, adding that cyber risks have “existed now for several years, and we must deal with them as soon as possible”.
(74)
