Automotive Cybersecurity: From Perceived Threat to Stark Reality JP-ABOUT-002

This review analyzes automotive cybersecurity threats that are gaining attention worldwide and the apparent ways industries are responding to them. It also addresses the need to continue investment in cyber research and security, as well as the ‘security by design’ approach that automakers are likely to adopt as a long-term strategy to fend off cyber-attacks.

Every modern vehicle that rolls off the manufacturing assembly line features sophisticated technologies. By 2025, it is expected that every car will be connected to the Internet in multiple ways. To make it all possible, the automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their Tier-1 suppliers are putting sophisticated hardware and cloud updateable software in new models. Simultaneously, in order to assure functional safety, standards are requiring a defined operating state at all times for every safety critical element (e.g., steering, braking, advanced driver assistance systems) within the vehicle.

As vehicle manufacturers aggressively increase connectivity offerings to the marketplace, it is clear that the security need is elevated. This overview of the current state of the subject identifies that:

• Any vehicle connected directly or indirectly to the Internet is a potential cybercrime target.
• The cybersecurity community is engaged in investigating modern vehicle systems and ways to patch security loopholes.
• The myriad of vulnerabilities in the connected car market render remediation inadequate.