The project, funded by InnovateUK, identified models to identify and manage cybersecurity risks for connected vehicle networks.
Background: Cybersecurity is becoming a growing concern as the market for connected objects continues to grow. Earlier in 2020, the UK Government set out proposals to enhance security standards on consumer IoT products, including the creation of a Code of Conduct for the industry and the possible use of a labelling scheme to help consumers identify which products adhere to security standards. Similar concerns are emerging with regard to connected vehicles, which will heavily rely on the security of mobile networks to communicate with each other and with platforms and databases.
Models to mitigate cybersecurity risks have been identified: On 28 May 2020, UK mobile operator O2 announced that it completed a project funded by Innovate UK, the UK Government-funded innovation agency, and the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) to support the development of cybersecurity testing capabilities. The 12-week-long project, called BeARCAT (Baselining, Automation and Response for CAV Testbed), saw O2 working alongside Cisco, the University of Warwick, and other partners. In a statement, O2 said its team of cybersecurity experts were responsible for determining the types of cyberattack and attackers that pose a threat to CAV networks, such as cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) networks and intelligent transport system at 5GHz (ITS-G5) network technology. The investigation focused on developing models that could be used to classify, manage, and mitigate cybersecurity risks for intelligent transport systems, which will be of key importance to ensure the safety and security of road users in the future.
What next? As a feasibility study, recommendations were put forward by the consortium to Innovate UK to form the basis of a future cybersecurity CAV test facility, which outlined the design, development, and trialling of the outputs of the initial study.
