Strong shipments of connected cars highlight the need for secure telematics and vehicle cybersecurity

Article by: ABI Research

Optimizing secure data management services in connected vehicle telematics is key to refining intelligence operations and unlocking new monetization of IoT security in applications, according to a new report from global technology intelligence firm ABI Research. V2X.

“Telematics applications are at the heart of automotive OEMs’ intelligence strategy, producing an ever-increasing amount of data and supporting key operations including fleet management, optimizing vehicle connectivity, updating over-the-air (FOTA) firmware, and predictive maintenance.While automotive OEMs are partially adopting new security measures out of necessity due to compliance and regulatory requirements, the fact is that they need to adapt V2X applications to meet the demands of large IoT ecosystems. OEMs are gradually beginning to recognize the value of a security-centric approach in connected vehicles,” says Dimitrios Pavlakis, Principal IoT Security Analyst at ABI Research.

Secure management of telematics data can be approached by taking a more unified approach. Rather than simply “pushing” security to the cloud, secure telematics must come from the vehicle itself. Vehicle systems evolve into a highly complex and interconnected network spanning multiple control/processing units, generating an ever-increasing amount of data and routing it to a single component designed for external communications: the Telematics Control Unit (TCU). Every data point captured by vehicle systems and gateways, communicated via cellular networks, and analyzed in the cloud by automotive OEMs and telematics service providers (TSPs) comes from the TCU communication modules. A simple eSIM embedded in telematics devices is sufficient to secure external communications for many telematics providers and automotive OEMs. “It is amazing that automotive data security management relies on this unique technology while the monetization opportunity is significantly higher,” says Pavlakis. “The concept of ‘just integrating the TCU with an eSIM’ is simply a connectivity enabler, not a scalable security approach.”

Many automotive market players rely heavily on cloud security to ensure that their customer and end-user data is properly collected, stored and managed. However, there are several value chains before the cloud, starting with the issuance of identity at the manufacturing stage for telematics devices, the secure installation of firmware and the issuance of code for software components, the management certificates and proper ownership migration, provisioning and integration, building trust with third-party services, streamlining on-board network operations, privacy and secure data management, among others. Pavlakis concludes, “There is no future scenario in the age of the software-defined vehicle that precludes additional investment in hardware, software, and network security options. Obtaining reliable telematics data and protecting vehicle communications directly contributes to data monetization and aligns with the future of V2X and intelligent vehicle processes.

Leading companies in the field offer telematics-specific eUICCs and embedded firmware solutions (Thales), embedded hardware security for V2X (Infineon), vehicle connectivity platforms and SoCs (Ericsson), network connected vehicles and high-level data security (Blackberry), and software-defined vehicle and security architecture consulting services (Tata Elxi and Upstream).

These findings are taken from ABI Research’s Secure Data Management in Automotive Telematics Application Analytics Report. This report is part of the company’s IoT Cybersecurity Research Service, which includes research, data and ABI Insights. Based on in-depth primary interviews, application analytics reports present an in-depth analysis of market trends and key drivers for a specific application, which could focus on a particular market or geography.