As you are aware, the automotive industry is going through a tremendous amount of change. Connected and automated driving. Electrification. Innovation through software. New regulations and legislation, and more. While these factors impact several areas of the industry and vehicles, most, if not all, significantly impact cybersecurity, making it a critical success factor for automotive OEMs.

Define your cybersecurity strategy

With cybersecurity governance and compliance regulations coming for both Europe and North America, it’s critical for OEM management to take an in-depth look at their organization’s cybersecurity approach and what is needed when new regulations take place. Specifically, OEMs need to define, implement and refine their cybersecurity strategies to ensure they are:

• Managing vehicle cybersecurity
• Securing vehicles by design to mitigate risks along the value chain
• Detecting and responding to security incidents across the vehicle fleet
• Providing safe and secure software updates and ensuring vehicle safety is not compromised, introducing a legal basis for over-the-air updated to on-board vehicle software

All involved parties must be on-board

To achieve this requires a holistic look at all parties involved, from ECU suppliers to third-party service providers of connected backend functionality, as well as internal groups, including automotive engineering teams, research and development, safety, quality, information security, back office infrastructure, and legal and governance. As if that’s not enough, it also means the combination of traditional IT, which focuses on the protection of informational assets, and automotive embedded security, which concentrates on protecting vehicles and keeping people safe.

Customized approach to help you prepare

Yes, it’s a lot. But ESCRYPT has a solution, one that is tailored to each customer’s capabilities and processes to determine if their vehicles and Cyber Security Management System (CSMS) are ready for new regulations – and if they aren’t, what needs to be done.

• On-site interviews of all stakeholders to audit the reliability of current cybersecurity activities and systems, their targets and set a scope to meet the needs of all stakeholders
• Use gathered information to create documentation for auditing, obtaining CSMS certification and vehicle-type approvals
• Utilize fit/gap analysis report of current processes and how to build/adapt for upcoming regulations; or build a new cybersecurity process from the ground up
• Custom on-site or web-based training for staff
• Readiness assessment report with a specific focus on economic considerations to balance compliance, security and financial viability

In the end, we combine organization-level guidance with engineering-level experience, helping to increase the likelihood of a customer reaching their cybersecurity targets on time and budget. The built-in maturity model identifies and prioritizes cybersecurity gaps, highlights necessary actions to take (including when and in what order) and assists with implementation.

Are your vehicles ready?

The exciting changes happening in the industry come along with challenges. In cybersecurity, that means an increase in the amount and frequency of potential attack scenarios for vehicles. Regulations addressing these will be here before you know it –  now is the time to determine if your CSMS and vehicles are ready.

For more information, visit the ESCRYPT website. And we’re happy to help, contact us with any questions our just to chat about which approach might work for you.