Cybersecurity Readiness for Automated Vehicles

Abstract

Autonomous Vehicle (AV) is a rapidly evolving mobility technology with the potential to drastically alter the future of transportation. Despite the plethora of potential benefits that have prompted their eventual introduction, AVs may also be a source of unprecedented disruption for future travel eco-systems due to their vulnerability to cyber-threats. In this context, this work assesses AVs' cybersecurity readiness. It establishes a Causal Loop Diagram (CLD) based on the System Dynamics approach: a powerful technique inferred from system theory, which can synthesise the behaviour of complicated AV systems. Based on the CLD model, three feedback loops and a system archetype “Fixes-That-Fail” are envisioned, in which the growth in hacker capability, an unforeseen result of technology innovation, demands constant mitigation efforts. The most challenging aspect of this context is determining the trade-off between five components: i) the natural growth of AV technology; ii) stakeholders (communication service providers, road operators, automakers, AV consumers, repairers, and the general public) access to AV technology; iii) the measures to limit hackers' access to AV technology; iv) a pervasive dynamic strategy for circumventing hacker amplification; and v) the efficient usage of AV operating logfiles.