Why Cybersecurity is now a core automotive engineering discipline?

Over the past several decades, automotive engineering has transitioned from a hardware-centric mechanical discipline to a multidisciplinary integration of software, hardware, and electronics. Further the emergence of the Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) is blurring the boundaries between the automotive and technology sectors. This shift necessitates continuous feature enhancements via Over-the-Air (OTA) updates but also introduces critical safety and security requirements. Without robust, secure-by-design development frameworks, vehicles remain vulnerable to remote exploitation. Such risks include the hijacking of braking and steering systems or the exploitation of vulnerabilities within infotainment units, CAN bus networks, and OTA delivery mechanisms.

Cybersecurity in Automotive

Automotive cybersecurity provides a comprehensive framework to shield the modern vehicle's digital ecosystem from evolving threats. This process begins with a Threat Analysis and Risk Assessment (TARA), adhering to standards like ISO 21434 to identify vulnerabilities across the entire vehicle architecture. At the foundational level, security focuses on internal systems like Electronic Control Units (ECUs), embedded software, and the CAN Bus networks that facilitate communication between sensors and microcontrollers. As vehicles become more connected, these defenses extend to securing external interfaces like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) protocols against remote exploitation. Ultimately, maintaining long-term resilience relies on the integrity of over-the-air (OTA) updates, which allow manufacturers to deploy critical security patches without compromising privacy or essential safety functions like steering and braking.

These security goals are achieved through a rigorous, life-cycle approach known as Security by Design, which integrates defensive measures directly into the initial development process rather than treating them as an afterthought. This strategy utilizes layered security to create redundant protections across both wired and wireless entry points, ensuring that a single breach does not compromise the entire system. Beyond static defenses, the industry employs continuous risk management and real-time threat detection to identify and respond to incidents as they occur. Finally, success in this field relies on global standards and collaboration; by following ISO 21434 guidelines and sharing intelligence through organizations like Auto-ISAC, manufacturers can stay ahead of emerging vulnerabilities through collective defense

Regulations related to Cybersecurity in Automotive

Cybersecurity in the automotive industry is no longer a voluntary practice for manufacturers; it is a fundamental requirement for global market access. With the implementation of UN Regulation No. 155 (UN R155) and R156, manufacturers are now legally mandated to establish robust Cybersecurity and Software Update Management Systems. These regulations are supported by the ISO/SAE 21434 standard, which provides a comprehensive framework for cybersecurity engineering throughout a vehicle's entire lifecycle. As regional requirements like China’s GB 44495-2024 become mandatory in 2026, rigorous compliance is no longer just a safety measure, it is a prerequisite for staying in the market.

Conclusion

The evolution of the automobile into a "computer on wheels" has made cybersecurity inseparable from physical safety. As Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs) dissolve the boundaries between hardware and software, the ability to protect safety critical systems such as steering and braking from remote exploitation has become a core engineering requirement rather than a secondary IT concern.

While connectivity via OTA and V2X drives innovation, it also expands the digital attack surface. The global mandated standards & regulations like ISO/SAE 21434, UN R155/156 confirms that cybersecurity is now a baseline for roadworthiness and market access. To succeed, manufacturers must shift from reactive patching to a proactive, "secure-by-design" philosophy, integrating rigorous threat analysis into the earliest stages of development to ensure vehicles are both technologically advanced and fundamentally secure.

(The author is Umesh Sambhari senior engineering manager at nexteer automotive)