Cybersecurity Dialogue Ep1: Can your car be hacked?

As vehicles become increasingly software-defined and connected, cybersecurity can no longer be treated as an add-on. It needs to be embedded into the vehicle from the architecture stage itself, automotive technology and cybersecurity experts said in the first episode of Autocar Professional’s Cybersecurity Dialogues.

Dr Suresh D, Group CTO, Spark Minda Group, and Vikas Chaudhary, Founder and CEO, HackersEra, joined Autocar Professional to discuss how the shift from mechanical systems to electronics and software is creating new vulnerabilities across vehicles.

The discussion covers potential attack surfaces including ECUs, CAN networks, Bluetooth, keyless-entry systems, USB interfaces, telematics and over-the-air updates.

“Cybersecurity is now the new seat belt,” Chaudhary said, arguing that protection needs to begin at the concept and design stage rather than being added after vehicle development.

Suresh said secure-by-design architectures will require closer collaboration between OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers and technology partners throughout a vehicle’s lifecycle.

The conversation also explores penetration testing, ISO/SAE 21434, UN R155 and R156, and how artificial intelligence could reshape both cyberattacks and vehicle cyber defence.