Guest Editors’ Introduction: Secure Automotive Systems

Modern and Emergent
automotive systems are highly complex, dominated by a large number of integrated electronics and software components. The electronic and software components include a diversity of device functionality, ranging across infotainment, driver assistance, radio, and wireless communication. The future is expected to see an even more explosive increase in complexity with the emergence of fully automated connected cars that need to have continuous communication with a smart highway system, interact with a variety of structured and
ad hoc
networks with different levels of trustworthiness, and make real-time analytics in the context of an in-motion, rapidly changing environment. In this complex world, it is critical to ensure that these systems behave predictably, securely, and reliably, even in an environment involving interaction with millions of other, potentially malicious, computing agents. A hacked automotive system, in the world of self-driving vehicles and vehicles with automated driver assistance, can cause catastrophic consequences, including significant loss of human lives, breakdown of highway systems, and shut-down of an entire city or region. Indeed, automotive systems do (and must) require some of the most stringent levels of compliance with requirements from security. On the other hand, the high complexity of the systems makes enforcement of such standards a highly challenging exercise.