Securing transportation systems

The increasing complexity and digitalization of transportation and logistics systems demand innovative strategies to enhance cybersecurity, operational resilience, and intelligence. In this context, zero-trust architecture (ZTA) has emerged as a crucial cybersecurity paradigm designed to protect complex, distributed digital systems by enforcing strict and continuous verification. Although its significance has grown rapidly in today’s increasingly interconnected world, limited research has explored the integration of ZTA within transportation and logistics systems, particularly considering the internal capabilities and external institutional pressures that influence transportation systems. Addressing this critical gap, this study investigates the critical success factors (CSFs) for the successful deployment of ZTA alongside artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in transportation networks. Grounded in the resource-based view (RBV) and institutional theory (IT), the research highlights the importance of cyber-resilience, AI-driven operational intelligence, digital leadership, regulatory compliance, and competitive dynamics in enabling secure and intelligent transport systems. Therefore, this research proposes the ZTA–AI transportation integration framework (ZATIF), combining ZTA and AI to strengthen transportation networks. The framework underscores the strategic role of ZTA and AI as enablers of sustainable, resilient, and secure transportation operations. Subsequently, managerial implications and theoretical contributions are discussed, offering a pathway for organizations to integrate security and intelligence into their core logistics functions.