Security

Security, also known as cybersecurity, refers to the protection of electronic systems, software, and data from unauthorized access, manipulation, or damage. It is commonly structured around the CIA triad: Confidentiality, ensuring that information is accessible only to authorized users; Integrity, safeguarding data from unauthorized modification or corruption; and Availability, guaranteeing that systems and information remain reliably accessible when needed.

This includes safeguarding systems from cyberattacks that could compromise operations, steal personal data, or enable unauthorized control. This proactive defense is essential to prevent malicious actors from exploiting vulnerabilities that could lead to safety hazards, privacy breaches, or financial losses for both owners and manufacturers.

The increasing connectivity and automation in modern vehicles create a larger attack surface for cyber threats. A breach in a vehicle's security could have devastating consequences.

Beyond safety, data privacy is also a major concern, as vehicles collect vast amounts of information about their occupants and driving habits. Robust security measures are fundamental to ensuring the safety of drivers and passengers, protecting sensitive data, and maintaining public trust in autonomous and connected mobility. Standards like ISO/SAE 21434, which focuses on automotive cybersecurity engineering, highlight the industry's commitment to addressing these evolving threats.

While both security and functional safety are critical for vehicle reliability and trustworthiness, they address different types of risk.

Functional safety, primarily governed by ISO 26262, focuses on preventing harm due to system failures or malfunctions. Security, on the other hand, deals with intentional, malicious attacks from threat agents against the system. It aims to prevent unauthorized access that could cause a system to behave in an unintended and harmful way.

While functional safety ensures the car operates correctly even when internal issues occur, security protects the vehicle from unauthorized external access or control . These are complementary disciplines with strong interdependencies, both essential for a truly safe and trustworthy vehicle.

Assessing and qualifying automotive security involves a systematic process to identify, evaluate, and mitigate cybersecurity risks throughout the vehicle's lifecycle. This process is increasingly guided by international standards like ISO/SAE 21434, which defines a cybersecurity management system.

The goal is to demonstrate that the vehicle's systems are adequately protected against known and foreseeable cyber threats, building confidence and ultimately contributing to overall automotive safety.

ISO/SAE 21434 integrates cybersecurity risk management into every phase of the automotive E/E lifecycle, and it mandates management over the tools and libraries used in that process. Tool and library qualification ensures that software tools and libraries do not introduce or overlook vulnerabilities that could threaten vehicle security.