Security technology
Connecting without concern
Today’s connected cars have a highly sensitive electronic environment, containing both critical systems and confidential information. Until recently security measures to safeguard this environment have been limited, partly because the systems were relatively isolated from the rest of the world. With increasing connectivity in the car, the potential for system interference or data misuse by unauthorised sources is also increasing. By using a Secure Network Platform connected vehicles can have the security protection they need, giving manufacturers and drivers complete peace of mind.
That insecure feeling
To prevent hackers from accessing the car’s internal network, access needs to be restricted. Only known entities are allowed access to limited parts of the network and to limited data subsets. Our proven technologies bring powerful and cost-effective authentication capabilities, based on strong device identity and service profiling, to the automotive environment.
For trusted authentication, our tamper resistant and secure microcontrollers feature hardware cryptographic accelerators (ECC, RSA, AES, 3DES, SHA, TRNG), and support a broad range of symmetric and asymmetric (public key) algorithms and protocols. With over 15 years experience in the smartcard market, NXP has evolved its solutions to feature the latest security technologies. Already proven in NXP certified products, they deliver very high reliability and tamper proof operations with support for multi-application environments.
Why is the security risk so significant?
Increasing electronic functionality, such as ADAS, in vehicles means there are ever more networks of ECUs in the car. As well as interacting within the car, these modules may also interact with the internet, either by antenna or indirectly through mobile device links. While all this is to good purpose – hugely improving safety, performance, convenience and more – it unfortunately makes in-vehicle systems, relying on traditional network security, potentially vulnerable to software attacks.
Securely connecting to the wider worls
Connectivity to telematics servers, roadside infrastructures, phones and multimedia devices, inter-vehicle communications, access to the web: the car is getting connected to the cloud in a broad sense. So it is essential that we secure access to services, to the vehicle's safety critical functions and to confidential data.
Secure network platform enables
- Authenticate vehicle to infrastructures, remote servers and cars: secure remote diagnostic and maintenance, secure SW upgrades, remote control of vehicle, vehicle ID management for car2x communications (ITS), secure car access etc.
- Authentication of messages, data and ECU/IVN events (e.g. GPS data for tolling, secure event data recorder, Vehicle-2-X (V2X) messaging)
Protecting In-Vehicle networks
The car’s operational and data vulnerability situation is exacerbated by the nature of traditional in-vehicle network set-ups. Several combined factors, from interoperability demands to the vehicle’s development timeframe, necessitate a relatively basic security framework. In particular on-board diagnostics units provide an easy target, but the system as a whole offers limited protection against external interference.
Until recently security had to rely on the independent protective features of each individual component. No overall measures were available to protect the ‘connected whole’. Car networks need to be brought up-to-date using a Secure Network Platform, fortifying the car’s (inter-)connected environment with an inclusive component shell.
Secure network platform enables
- Configure vehicle electronics software running on generic / global hardware platforms
Digital identities
Using a dedicated platform for vehicle networking security provides comprehensive security and authentication processes. It pairs identities with digital identities to secure communication in both directions, ensuring data to and from the vehicle is clean.
So you can take your personal settings with you from car to car using an NFC-enabled device such as a car key or mobile phone. Settings can include driving position, favourite radio stations, navigation options, MP3 library, dashboard design, etc. As you approach or enter the car, your personal settings are automatically downloaded.
It also protects revenue streams and secures new business models driven by emerging mobility concepts such as car sharing, 'pay as you drive' insurance, 'pay as you use' (road tolling) and 'park and charge' EV.
Secure network platform enables
- Create a solid platform for financial transactions and banking services