Bart Giordano is director, wireless product marketing, at Marvell.
Bart Giordano: Don't hack my ride.
Outside the living room, automobiles have become the epicenter of multimedia activity for consumers. From Cadillac to Audi, all the major automotive players are getting in the game, offering movies on integrated LCD screens, enabling passengers to surf the Web or simply allowing access to an address book on the car’s head unit. A recent study by In-Stat forecasts that more than 35 million in-vehicle infotainment systems are expected to ship in 2015.
With all the hype around these innovations, however, one extremely important topic – security – is consistently overlooked.
While car manufacturers tout heightened safety capabilities made possible via Wi-Fi, such as emergency calls automatically placed as the airbags deploy, carmakers fail to mention increased security risks that go along with wireless access to automotive systems. While cables serve as secure communications links to critical systems, wireless connections are susceptible to hackers, which opens the door to myriad potential problems. To manufacture cars that meet strict security requirements, automotive companies must deliver in-vehicle wireless security on par with that offered by wired systems.
As the popularity of wireless offerings in cars continues to grow, it will be imperative that consumers arm themselves with basic knowledge about these security concerns. To make it easy, here are three questions consumers should ask while shopping for a Wi-Fi enabled car (and three answers they should hear) to ensure secure connectivity.
- How do I know that any data transferred from my smartphone to my in-vehicle infotainment system arrives safely and securely?
Today, several carmakers allow passengers to transfer phone numbers, email addresses and other information from mobile devices to hardware devices installed in their cars. To ensure that this data is not susceptible to hackers, carmakers must guarantee that the consumer’s data is encrypted using a highly secure encryption standard such as the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), which has been adopted by the U.S. government and is used worldwide.
- Since car manufacturers offer different in-vehicle Wi-Fi offerings, are there any standard wireless protocols my car should be compatible with?
While this issue might not be top-of-mind for the typical consumer, they should seek a car that adheres to the industry’s most important and universally recognized wireless protocols, which not only provides enhanced connectivity, but also ensures additional security. Wi-Fi Direct is a industry standard protocol that provides an easy to use way to securely connect Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the automobile. Similarly, the upcoming Wi-Fi Display is designed for transmitting video over a Wi-Fi link in a secure manner.
- As vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communication capabilities expand (e.g., social networking between cars, locating and reserving charging locations for electric and plug-in hybrids), how can I be sure that my car is secure from outside interference?
Automakers are already laying out their plans for next-generation vehicles. In the coming years, we’ll see cars transforming into highly customized personal assistants, connecting the car to his or her home and computer systems as well as other vehicles. This interaction between multiple vehicles and locations also heightens the need for tight security. To support these connections, carmakers need to create multiple independent wireless networks. Separating and securing wireless networks prevents inadvertent interference with in-vehicle communications systems, as well as deliberate malicious intrusions to an automobile’s key safety features.
During the next five years, consumers will experience significant advancements in wireless automotive systems. Building consumer awareness about technologies associated with this industry will be essential in guaranteeing security on the mobile highway.
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