Autonomous driving requires a rethink of vehicle data security. The SOS Secure Our Streets conference on autonomous driving.
In all sectors it is said that more must be done to protect the cybersecurity do. This also applies to autonomous driving – perhaps even more so than in other sectors.
Because autonomous driving in all its forms wants to become the norm and, according to the experts at the SOS Conference, this requires high investments in safety. The SOS Secure Our Streets conference, hosted by the non-profit group of security advocates called the Automotive Security Research Group (ASRG), speaks of significant changes ahead.
An important approach would be if the sensor perception is created as a redundant system so that it does not become a gateway for manipulation. For the encryption it would also require an enormous increase in computing power. In addition, one pleads for quality assurance of external data and secure processes in development and operation. Finally, there would be the possibility of interference with the sensors or the position.
It would have to be recognized that the threats do not only affect entire fleets, that those responsible act for political reasons or that foreign powers are at work. Furthermore, one should consider strange behavior qua Tiktok challenges as a possible source of danger. Because, one points out, if you have to take control at 130 kilometers per hour, seconds are crucial for a possible safety stop.
The extent of possible manipulations can have dramatic consequences. An example of the evening refers to the blockade of a road by cruise vehicles. This was probably a software error.
Furthermore, one considers the legally intended Remote control critical. However, this requires a secure system, which also includes the software supply chain. But it is also about the hardware and data protection conditions when a system has been hacked. How to deal with it, after all the vehicle may be in motion.
A lot is expected of edge computing. These are decentralized computing units that calculate large amounts of data at different points. That is less susceptible to attacks than a central cloud, where the data would have to be directed.
Already now you have to face the truck trends act. One vulnerable point is the SAE J1939 network protocol, which communicates via the CAN BUS. An exploited vulnerability could affect different models from different manufacturers.