The need for security
Digitalization of the automotive manufacturing process requires more communication from device to device and device to cloud. This affects the underlying IT infrastructures and software systems, which often means that hackers have greater opportunities for attack and new attack vectors.
They could gain access to vehicle data or cryptographic keys during the ECU manufacturing process, for example. Or cyberattacks could spread beyond the vehicle into the associated backend systems and mobility services.
The challenges here are to shield these digital assets from counterfeiting, theft, and manipulation and thereby secure the relevant business models.
How to secure connected industry
Automotive security must be factored in right from the start: namely, during the connected manufacturing processes used in the automotive industry.
This entails protecting the production facilities and processes themselves against unauthorized access. And in ECU production, for example, key material provided by automakers must be distributed as needed among production sites, where it is stored on production key servers before being introduced into the ECUs during the manufacturing process. This technique ensures that the ECUs can exchange data securely once installed in the vehicle.
