Cybersecurity in vehicles has to be extensive, defending both the front end and back end of vehicle systems and all the infrastructure upon which connected cars rely. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have to deal with human ingenuity that goes far beyond known threats.

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The enormous cost of infrastructure and resources needed to engineer and test cybersecurity for vehicles puts many OEMs on the back foot. With an estimated 300 million lines of code expected in a Level 5 autonomous vehicle, there will be an estimated 180,000 bugs in the code, amounting to some 15,000 security vulnerabilities. The importance of comprehensive cybersecurity in automotive cannot be overstated.

Leading automotive companies in cybersecurity

The core competencies of OEMs cover the design, development, and production of components. Cybersecurity is not a core competence, meaning they lack the technical expertise required to implement effective cybersecurity measures. This leads to outsourcing, with OEMs often meeting only the most basic cybersecurity requirements to save on cost. With the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Regulation 155 coming into force in July 2022, the development of the ISO/SAE 21434 standard, and countries from the US to China adopting local regulations and oversight, there is a real requirement for manufacturers to get up to speed on cybersecurity, and to do so quickly.

Leading cybersecurity adopters in automotive are Tesla, Jaguar Land Rover, Toyota, Ford, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Kia, BMW, Continental, General Motors, Denso, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan and Honda.

Discover the leading cybersecurity companies in the automotive industry

Using its experience in the sector, Just Auto has listed some of the leading companies providing products and services related to cybersecurity. 

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The information provided in the download document is drafted for automotive industry executives and technology leaders involved in automotive cybersecurity solutions. 

The download contains detailed information on suppliers and their product offerings, alongside contact details to aid purchasing or hiring decisions. 

Amongst the leading automotive cybersecurity companies are Argus Cyber Security, BlackBerry, Cybellum, Guard Knox, Horiba Mira, Majenta Solutions, Upstream Security, WISeKey, Telefonica, and Tencent Keen Security Labs.

Impact of cybersecurity on the automotive industry

The cybersecurity vulnerabilities specific to the auto industry are numerous. Hackers could compromise the safety and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) of a vehicle in use or, worse, manipulate any autonomous functionality to directly cause a crash. They could also access vehicle occupants’ private information such as current location, previous GPS destinations, or smartphone contacts. As automakers increasingly rely on over-the-air (OTA) updates to remotely add or upgrade vehicle features, cybersecurity efforts will be needed to ensure these methods are insulated from threat actors.

All automotive companies must invest in cybersecurity to protect the value and integrity of their brand. Cybersecurity has never been more disruptive, while as a technology, cybersecurity has never been less effective. The actors and vehicles of a cyberattack are many and varied. The actors include human error, external hackers, and malicious insiders. The vehicles of an attack include cloud and mobile services, operational technologies, physical and virtual services, and web applications.

New vulnerabilities are also constantly coming to light, and they can be difficult to fix. The challenge for security teams is knowing what systems are likely to be affected when such unexpected vulnerabilities come to light.