Automotive cybersecurity threats will continue to
intensify. The importance of a continuous and efficient operation management
system throughout the vehicle lifecycle is emerging. Beyond the vehicle’s software-centric
development, the true value of SDVs can be demonstrated when the way of working
also becomes software-driven, creating mutual synergy. Just as SDV improves the
user experience for drivers, a software-defined operation (SDO) management
solution for SDV, enhances the user experience for those involved in vehicle
cybersecurity, directly leading to improved work efficiency. To lay a secure
foundation for SDVs, it's important to realize continuous cybersecurity with
SDO.
by Hyunjung Lee, CTO, FESCARO
Hyunjung
Lee is a co-founder of FESCARO and is in charge of the Security Development Division.
A former white hacker, she developed FESCARO's proprietary security algorithm
technology and obtained FIPS 140-2 certification from the National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST). She also successfully conducted V2X security
technology R&D and demonstration projects for the Korea Automobile Testing
& Research Institute (KATRI). By fusing automotive cybersecurity and IT
server technology, she has developed an IT-based operation management solution
that covers the entire lifecycle from vehicle production to post-mass
production, contributing to dramatically increasing the work efficiency of
automakers and controller developers.
Advancement of vehicle software and its inevitable
consequences
The generative AI service ‘ChatGPT’ is also blowing in the automotive industry. GM is working with Microsoft to develop a ChatGPT virtual assistant, and Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW have also announced plans to introduce ChatGPT in their vehicles.
While ChatGPT is undoubtedly a good choice for
improving the driver experience, but it is also necessary to consider potential
risks. ChatGPT is sophisticated software. Vehicles are equipped with software
for driving, safety, infotainment, etc., and additional software will be added continuously.
As software increases, there are inevitably vulnerabilities. This is the threat
of hacking.
Cybersecurity-related regulations are being enacted
to welcome software-defined vehicles (SDVs), from R155 and R156 in Europe to
the Motor Vehicle Management Act in Korea and GB in China. The automotive
industry is applying cybersecurity to respond to these regulations, but hacking
threats continue to evolve. This is why 'continuity' is emerging as the key to
regulatory response.
V-model and DevOps
The automotive industry uses the V-model when
developing software. It is a process of analyzing requirements, designing and
applying architecture, and validating it. In effect, because development ends
after the vehicle is launched, it is difficult to respond quickly to software
errors and defects or improve quality after mass production.
With the advent of the SDV era, the vehicle
lifecycle is being extended with software technologies that are easy to update,
increasing the importance of continuous development and management even after
launch. This is the background to the emergence of a new methodology called
DevOps, which compensates for the shortcomings of the V-model. It is a
methodology that integrates development and operation to continuously improve
products through a cycle of design, development, verification, distribution,
operation, and monitoring.
Beyond Regulatory Response, Truly Continuous
Cybersecurity (Feat. IT Infrastructure)
Cybersecurity is no exception. The field where the
DevOps concept must be applied is cybersecurity. This is because vehicles can
be effectively protected only when continuously responding to evolving hacking
threats. By integrating server technology, I have built an IT-based cybersecurity management system that
covers the entire vehicle lifecycle. The IT infrastructure solution actually
applied to a global automotive OEM consists of three systems, and the main
roles of each system are as follows
1) Cybersecurity Certification Management
System
- Vehicle type-specific project management and
project-specific sub-item management
- Security module and firmware electronic signature
management for component suppliers
- Certificate issuance and distribution management
for vehicle diagnostics
- Generation and management of encryption keys used
in encryption algorithms
2) Real-time incident response management
system
- Security event history management by vehicle type
and individual vehicle
- Real-time monitoring of security events
- Security vulnerability management and security
measure implementation
- Wireless firmware update (OTA, Over The Air) for
each vehicle type
3) Software update management system
- Software version, history, and update status
management
- Impact analysis and evaluation management by
software changes
- RXSWIN (Regulation X Software Identification
Number) management
- Vehicle type-specific package management for
software updates
The above three systems are effective even when used
individually, but they are recommended to be interconnected to maximize the ‘orchestration’
effect. This is because it enables automation and optimization of cybersecurity
work processes throughout the vehicle life cycle, from development to
production to post-production. There is a case where a global OEM has
implemented all three systems to maximize regulatory response effectiveness and
work productivity.
The IT infrastructure solution was evaluated as pivotal in helping
OEMs obtain CSMS (Cybersecurity Management System) and SUMS (Software Update
Management System) certification from the UN R155·R156 certification body.
FESCARO's IT infrastructure solution delivers the following key values.
First, it systematically tracks and manages the organic
impact of the complex interconnections between cybersecurity, software updates,
and related regulations to minimize the spread of damage. In the event of a
security issue, the impact on derivative and subsequent projects can be
identified, and security measures can be taken collectively for all related
vehicles. The impact on existing item certification can be effectively analyzed
and assessed even when software is updated.
Second, it improves work efficiency by unifying and
computerizing the management of distributed cybersecurity tasks across all
areas of vehicle development and operation. It is also possible to
systematically manage the history of security-related work across the board,
which can be utilized as evidence in the future.
Third, it can facilitate practical regulatory
responses. Many organizations conduct cybersecurity regulatory response work separately
from their original work. FESCARO minimizes the overlap between the original work
and regulatory response work by designing and implementing an IT infrastructure
optimized for the customer's business processes.
The rise of software-defined operation (SDO)
As automotive cybersecurity threats are expected to
intensify in the future, the importance of a continuous and efficient
operation management system throughout the entire vehicle lifecycle is
emerging. Beyond developing products (vehicles) centered on software, it is
expected that the true value of SDV can be fully demonstrated by creating
mutual synergy when the way of working (management system) changes to be
software-centered.
I have defined the software-centered
operation management solution for SDV as Software Defined Operation (SDO).
Just as SDV improves the user experience for drivers, SDO enhances the
user experience for those involved in vehicle cybersecurity, directly leading to
greater work efficiency. In an era where the importance of the post-production
phase is emphasized, it is essential to realize continuous cybersecurity with
SDO to lay a secure foundation for SDV.
Source: AEM (Software-Defined Operation Management Leveraging the True Value of SDVs)