Sensors, simple logic circuits, complicated onboard computers, embedded operating systems, and proprietary chipsets are part of a vehicle platform. Combining Windows, macOS, Linux, and Java Virtual Machines into a single unified configuration is difficult.
FREMONT, CA: The number of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) and overall complexity continue to rise as vehicle technology progresses to include more autonomy and higher degrees of connectivity. A modern vehicle may have over 100 million lines of code that control and monitor a wide range of subsystems, such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), infotainment, collision avoidance, and engine/vehicle management. This opens the door to cybersecurity issues.
Unfortunately, manufacturers have done very little to add cybersecurity safeguards. There are currently no related automotive standards; ISO 26262, the automotive functional safety standard, states that the vehicle's security is the manufacturer's responsibility. This general lack of focus translates to increased danger to safety-critical systems and a growing liability that must be handled.
Cybersecurity IT Solutions Do not Readily Convert to Automotive
IT cybersecurity standards have been around for decades. Why not simply map cybersecurity solutions from the IT world to the automobile sector, given the similarities - both IT and automotive involve vital networks of connected devices? There are significant distinctions and corresponding obstacles, even though they are conceptually similar.
Multiple Interconnected Systems
Sensors, simple logic circuits, complicated onboard computers, embedded operating systems, and proprietary chipsets are part of a vehicle platform. Combining Windows, macOS, Linux, and Java Virtual Machines into a single unified configuration is difficult.
Time to Market
From concept to vehicle production, it takes an average of four years. This means that significant decisions affecting architecture, security principles, and operating systems are made roughly four years before vehicles come off the manufacturing line. Although vendors strive to keep software up to date until production begins, none of them would willingly replace a complete operating system kernel in the middle of development. This indicates that several months' worth of hidden bugs, fixes, vulnerabilities, security measures, and communication channels will go unnoticed. If any new components fail during testing or threaten to cause a production delay, the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) will fall back on an old ECU (Engine Control Unit) rather than risk the new one.
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