The electronic control unit (ECU) in combination with the underlying network is the brain of modern vehicles, controlling various functions and storing sensitive data. Only one weak point in a ECU/sensor could lead to malicious functionalities or data theft. Among the vast threats impacting the automotive industry, car theft has evolved and today's thieves are not just physically breaking into vehicles but also exploiting vulnerabilities in a car's electronic systems. Protecting the ECU and the network it communicates over is crucial to prevent unauthorized access and car theft and ensure safe operation of the vehicle functions.
ECU and network protection
To shield the ECU from tampering, hardware protection mechanisms are implemented. These include Trusted Execution Environments (TEE) or Hardware Security Modules (HSM) which provide a secure space for cryptographic operations and key storage, ensuring that sensitive operations are isolated from the rest of the system. The ECU is secured through measures like Secure Boot, ensuring the system initiates only trusted software and Secure Storages, which protects and encrypts critical data to prevent unauthorized access.
Network protection is equally vital, with strategies such as network segmentation, which isolates critical systems from non-critical ones and the use of firewalls/intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) and gateways to oversee and authorize data flow. Additionally, Message Authentication Code (MAC) and Encryption maintain the confidentiality, authenticity and integrity of network communications. Real-time Monitoring and Anomaly Detection provide ongoing vigilance, promptly identifying and responding to threats. Regular OTA updates keep security measures current, while comprehensive logging and incident response protocols enable swift action and recovery in the event of a breach.
Together, these activities create a layered defense strategy that safeguard modern vehicles against car theft and cyber threats. By securing the car's critical systems and ensuring that only authenticated and verified operations take place, the risk of car theft is significantly reduced.
Implementation
Our DevSecOps platform helps automotive manufacturers apply security measures in every step of the design and implementation processes. It allows development teams to shorten time between updates, reduce costs and better meet the market demand for functional flexibility.
From threat analysis & risk assessment automation (TARA), through code security, supply chain security and vehicle security testing, our toolchain enables a better cyber security posture. In vehicle embedded technologies such as intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) and hardware-secured modules make sure the vehicles, and its components are protected in real-time.