Utimaco shines a light on automotive security this Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Utimaco a leading global provider of IT security solutions, is placing a
strategic focus on cybersecurity in the automotive industry, reporting on
consumer trust levels in order to help build greater trust in the sector.

According to its recently-published whitepaper Circles of Trust: How the UK
Public Perceives Digital Risk, 70% of the UK’s population is worried about
the security of their data when using digital services. This is something
that it is vital to bear in mind during Cybersecurity Awareness Month – an
overwhelming majority of the users of digital services are worried about
their safety.

Its survey showed that 43% of respondents were worried about the digital
security of their vehicles. This is likely to be much lower than the level
of concern about digital security in general because there have been so few
cases of vehicle cybersecurity being breached. While any internet user will
have gotten phishing emails or had their personal data leaked, the kind of
digital attacks that could take place in vehicles are either invisible
(breaching onboard systems to collect data) or the kind of dangerous events
that would attract attention from law enforcement (hijacking a vehicle while
it was in motion.)

There were 79 million cars produced in 2021 and an estimated 93 million will
be produced in 2025, 21 million of which will be electric vehicles. Modern
vehicles always have some kind of digital connectivity, and some have suites
of dozens of digital devices that can connect wirelessly through satellite,
SMS, Bluetooth, wireless broadband and other technologies. On the horizon
are autonomous vehicles like self-driving cars and robo-taxis, and vehicles
are already on the roads that have subscription-based on-demand features.
Often the security and other systems in these vehicles are handled through
‘firmware over the air’ updates that can improve anything from the vehicle’s
infotainment systems to the communication protocols and encryption
algorithms that lie deep in the car’s software. All told, the modern car is
a ‘smartphone on wheels’, with just as much need for digital security.

To create this security, car manufacturers, OEMs and cybersecurity companies
like Utimaco have spent many years working on ways to secure vehicle systems
against current threats and those that might be further decades away.
Vehicles typically stay on the road for twelve years, some much longer, so
they have to be able to adapt to new threats as they arise. Quantum
computing is one such looming threat computers that can break security
systems that would take conventional computers millions, perhaps trillions
or years. This could enable current security in vehicles to be broken, but
because of Utimaco’s work alongside automotive companies, vehicles are
beginning to be quantum-agile – able to be upgraded to handle new threats as
they arise.

“We are extremely proud to be able to show companies in the automotive
industry hard data about how their customers feel about the connected
technology that is increasingly common in even the most basic vehicles,”
says Ansgar Steden, Chief Revenue Officer at Utimaco. “We see that they are
enthusiastic, but they still have concerns, despite a lack of high-profile
cases of vehicle cybersecurity being breached. This shows that manufacturers
need to better communicate the safety credentials of their vehicles and to
work with companies like Utimaco to make sure that this security is able to
withstand current and future threats.”

Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which takes place each October, was created
in collaboration between the U.S. government and industry to ensure that
every American has the resources they need to feel safer online. Similarly,
the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) is partnering with the
Commission and Member States in carrying out #CyberSecMonth. The EU’s annual
campaign is dedicated to promoting cybersecurity among EU citizens and
organizations and providing up-to-date online security information through
awareness raising activities and sharing of good practices.

To download your copy of Circles of Trust: How the UK Public Perceives
Digital Risk, please visit:
https://utimaco.com/survey-how-trust-works-digital-world

To learn more about what Utimaco is doing this Cybersecurity Awareness
Month, please visit: https://utimaco.com/

About Utimaco
UTIMACO is a global platform provider of trusted Cybersecurity and
Compliance solutions and services with headquarters in Aachen (Germany) and
Campbell, CA (USA). UTIMACO develops on-premises and cloud-based hardware
security modules, solutions for key management, data protection and identity
management as well as data intelligence solutions for regulated critical
infrastructures and Public Warning Systems. UTIMACO is one of the world’s
leading manufacturers in its key market segments.

500+ employees around the globe create innovative solutions and services to
protect data, identities and communication networks with responsibility for
global customers and citizens. Customers and partners in many different
industries value the reliability and long-term investment security of
UTIMACO’s high-security products and solutions. Find out more on
www.utimaco.com