Event: FISITA Intelligent Safety Conference China. 16 July Changchun, China and online
Name: Dr. Tomas Olovsson, Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Company: Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
Presentation Title: Cybersecurity and automated vehicles, what are the main challenges?
Session: Cybersecurity
What are you planning to talk about at the Intelligent Safety Conference, and who do you think will benefit most from what you have to say?
Each generation of vehicles contain more functionality that rely on communication. They do not only communicate internally but also with each other, with road-side infrastructure, with Internet services, mobile phones, wireless keys and diagnostic tools, to mention some. We know from experience that all communication sooner or later will be exploited, not only by hackers but also by vehicle owners who may want to enhance or change existing functionality. At the same time we have to guarantee correct functionality and the safety of the vehicles at all times. In this talk we will highlight the challenges we face and look at possible tools and ways to address these. Security requires knowledge from everyone involved in the design and development of components for automotive systems. It can not be applied afterwards and without security we cannot guarantee safety. Basic security awareness is important for everyone involved in vehicular design.
Intelligent safety technology is at the heart of mobility development – how do you see it evolving as ADAS develops into fully autonomous functionality?
Guaranteeing safety is crucial, and to achieve that, safety and security need to be addressed together in all design. These areas can not be treated separately since their functions affect each other and may cause the other fail. Redundancy, a traditional safety mechanism, may for example have negative security effects unless the design is done carefully. This work becomes increasingly important when more ADAS functionality is introduced and we face intelligent, knowledgeable attacks against the vehicles. When a function fails in a vehicle, it may be very hard to know whether it is due to a hardware failure, a bug in software or if it is a deliberate action that made it fail. A strategy for shutting down functionality quickly and to always keep the vehicle a safe state is crucial and requires a (cybersecure) resilient design. Vehicles need to have intelligence to stand up against these problems.
"It is not unlikely that we will see one or more vehicle manufacturers disappear from the market due to repeated security problems where customers abandon them for other brands".
What other factors do you expect to shape the development of intelligent safety technology? (e.g., legislation or standards, new technology, or changing consumer expectations)
There are several upcoming cybersecurity standards which affect how we design vehicular systems, similar to the well-known ISO 26262 for safety. Future certifications will also have cybersecurity focus to make sure vehicles at least have basic security protection. It is not unlikely that we will see one or more vehicle manufacturers disappear from the market due to repeated security problems where customers abandon them for other brands. Security and safety can not be applied retroactively without a complete redesign.
What attracts you personally to the area of intelligent safety?
Cybersecurity and safety are two important areas with lots of challenges. Many techniques exist in both fields, but now we have to work together and help "the other side" to understand our needs and goals. This is a big and interesting challenge with interesting problems to work with. With more automation, vehicles must also be able to solve problems immediately without the help from a driver.
"Cybersecurity and safety are two important areas with lots of challenges. Many techniques exist in both fields, but now we have to work together and help "the other side" to understand our needs and goals".
What advances or changes in intelligent safety would you most like to see implemented in mainstream vehicles?
More powerful and more intelligent intrusion detection systems that detect security problems and can distinguish them from hardware and software failures. It is not enough to just detect that there is a problem, it is also necessary to understand what the problem is to be able to apply the correct mitigation technique. These systems must be given the power to reconfigure the vehicle and its subsystems to guarantee correct functionality at all times, even when it is running.
Register for the FISITA Intelligent Safety Conference China to attend the full event in Changchun, or check back on the webpage for the link to watch the Keynote Session, Panel session and 'Impacts of Human Factors on Safety' session live streamed on the day.
About Tomas Olovsson
Dr. Tomas Olovsson's research interests are within the fields of networking, communications and security. He has been working actively with computer security for more than 25 years and recent research deals with security and safety of Internet-connected and automated vehicles. This work includes secure internal network architectures, securing V2X communications, intrusion detection systems and the complexity of security and safety interplay.
About FISITA Intelligent Safety Conference China 2021
Registration is now open so book your place today.
FISITA and China SAE are delighted to confirm that the third annual FISITA Intelligent Safety Conference China will take place 16 July 2021 in Changchun, China, with physical or online participation available to registered participants.
Following highly successful events in 2019 and 2020, FISITA Intelligent Safety Conference 2021 will run as a stand-alone conference for the first time.
The 2021 event will feature keynote speeches and a panel discussion, followed by three parallel technical sessions on the Safety of the Intended Functionality (SOTIF), Cybersecurity and the Impacts of Human Factors on Safety.
The event is co-organised in China by Jilin University and Automotive Innovation and supported by Tsinghua University and the CAICV SOTIF Working Group.
Sponsorship
Sponsor packages are available. To discuss sponsorship participation, please contact Nadine Lloyd at sales@fisita.com.