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Connected & Autonomous Vehicle Security "“ The Chassis on which to Build New Business Models

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By Stacy Janes, Chief Security Architect, Irdeto
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The rapid innovation in connected and autonomous technology has been impressive in recent years. Driven by consumer desire for simplicity and customization, connected devices and services have begun to touch upon almost every area of daily life for many of us. This has now extended into the connected vehicles we see today and, will inevitably be a key facet of the increasingly autonomous vehicles of the future.

Indeed, autonomous vehicles are rapidly becoming a reality and there is a clear drive by all parties in the value chain (manufacturers, tier one suppliers, consumers and even regulators) to make this happen sooner rather than later. In February, Waymo, Google's self-driving car company, was given the go ahead to launch a fully autonomous taxi service in Arizona later this year, and General Motors chief technology officer, Jon Lauckner, recently revealed that the OEM would launch an autonomous vehicle in 2019. Not to be outdone, on the other side of the globe, Tencent was in May given the go ahead to road test autonomous cars in Shenzen, China.

Perhaps more surprisingly, regulators across the globe are just as focused. In the US, the State Department of Motor Vehicles in California recently announced that self-driving cars backed up by a remote human operator could be tested on roads in the first half of this year. Meanwhile in the UK, the Chancellor announced as early as the November 2017 budget that there would be regulation changes, with a view to having driverless cars in operation in the UK by 2021. Similarly, the EU is aiming to catch-up with China and the US on the self-driving vehicle front, announcing just last month that it would develop rules for autonomous vehicles.

It's also clear that many consumers cannot wait to get their hands on a fully autonomous vehicle. So much so, that we frequently see reports of drivers relying on driver-assist functions as fully autonomous systems, with dangerous results. So, while speed seems to be the main concern on all sides when it comes to the development of autonomous vehicles, all parties must understand that this technology cannot become a reality safely, without robust security in place.

Understanding the threats

Unfortunately, eagerness for connected technology in some industries has resulted in security becoming an afterthought in many cases. It is crucial that this does not become widespread across the autonomous transport sector, as retro-fitting security will be a much tougher job than building it in from the ground up.

However, the simple fact is that there are always vulnerabilities present in connected systems and connected and autonomous cars are no different. Hackers continuously evolve their attack strategies and have exploited vulnerabilities to access vehicle electronic control units (ECUs), controller area network (CAN) bus systems, intelligent transportation systems (ITS) or even automotive apps through the cloud. Potential attacks also include Man-in-the-Middle and Man-at-the-End attacks, remote and in-vehicle tampering, and reverse engineering.

These security concerns must be addressed by the industry and this is made even more important by the fact that an awareness and level of concern exists among global consumers about the security risks associated with connected and autonomous vehicles. Irdeto's recent Global Connected Car Survey of 8,354 consumers across six countries (Canada, China, Germany, Japan, UK and US) found that 85% of consumers believe connected cars could be targeted by a cyberattack and nearly half do not plan to buy one in the future.

In addition to concerns about the security of the vehicles themselves, as the number of connected and autonomous vehicles on the road grows across the globe, the ways the automobile communicates with its surroundings and other connected devices also increases. This means that protection of only the vehicle itself is not enough. OEMs must also consider the entire connected vehicle ecosystem, including the security of the Road Side Units in V2X. This is because they will not be able rely solely on the security of the communication itself as the attack may come from the end-point.

To address the vulnerabilities, a well-defined strategy is required where OEMs, tier-one suppliers and IT service providers work together to not only define cybersecurity solutions, but more importantly, understand vulnerabilities from a hacker's perspective. However, while understanding both threats and risks is a good starting point, to be successful in the long term, new practices will have to be adopted.

Enabling new secure business models

Going back to the consumer needs in connected and autonomous transport, the bottom line is that they expect simplicity, convenience and customization from any digital service, and vehicles are fast becoming a part of this expectation. The ability to use a mobile device and companion application to eliminate the need for physical keys to a car is a reality, and functionality is only accelerating from there, such as enabling policy-based driving scenarios. It's also already clear that consumers expect to be able safely manage and operate today's connected vehicles with even more simplicity than is currently available or even safe. As a result, secure tamper-proof software is crucial for OEMs and tier one suppliers to provide the benefits that consumers expect in a safe and secure way.

While the security threats outlined earlier must be taken seriously by OEMs, they should also consider the opportunities for new revenues and business models that can be built from the basis of a secure platform. As vehicles become increasingly connected and autonomous, OEM business models have the potential to shift and the continuing evolution means that we could see a move from personally-owned vehicles to a fleet model.

In this reality, implementing secure mobility-as-a-service and transportation-as-a-service business models will not be a nice to have, it will become essential to maintain a competitive edge. Therefore, protecting business data and securely enforcing policies assigned to the vehicle is crucial to allow business owners to deliver customizable experiences to their customers. In addition, OEMs must have the ability to securely manage and control services offered in the vehicle. As a result, these new business models can only be enabled if they are built on security as a foundation.

The bottom line is that connected and autonomous vehicles as digital assets are creating more opportunities for OEMs and tier 1 suppliers, from new business models to improved safety. However, it is imperative that vehicle manufacturers balance safety while implementing a convenient, flexible and customizable driving experience for consumers operating today's connected vehicles. It is strong security that will provide the basis to create these profitable new business models while delivering compelling and exciting new experiences for consumers.


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Connected & Autonomous Vehicle Security "“ The Chassis on which to Build New Business Models
Modified on Friday 10th August 2018
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