Functionality is short-lived without security: Securing tomorrow’s Connected, Intelligent, and Autonomous Vehicular Ecosystem

Abstract

Vehicles are increasingly becoming fully functional complex computers on wheels, primarily driven by automation as social “things” while presenting various security challenges. As cyber-physical objects, the current vision of transitioning to fully connected, intelligent, and autonomous vehicles has introduced unique requirements that emphasize the importance of security dynamism, adaptiveness, self-awareness, context-awareness, and continuity. However, current security solutions are static and inadequate in addressing all these unique requirements. As functionality without the appropriate security measures is short-lived from a security perspective, which are infuenced and shaped by its interactions security-wise.

This dissertation develops a dynamic security architecture and investigates the impact of interaction resulting from security dependencies, inter-dependencies, and relationality within the vehicular ecosystem. In addition, it presents the fndings from a series of experiments conducted with a real-world heavy-duty truck, exploring the role of existing quantum technologies in the next generation of vehicular security and their integration. This includes the creation of a framework based on relational dependency chains and a self-aware system-level architectural design. Furthermore, this research enhances existing security measures and advances the state-of-the-art by examining, assessing, and demonstrating the signifcance of vehicular security while addressing the complexities within the vehicular ecosystem.

The frst contribution demonstrates decision-making and security impacts in multisensing environments, particularly focusing on object tracking for heavy-duty trucks with extended trailer dynamics in urban traffc scenarios. Intrusion Detection System/Intrusion Prevention System (IDS/IPS) is developed and tested in real-time with a custom in-vehicle design within a multi-sensing environment. The second contribution introduces Seaming Security Dependency-Chains (SSDC), which arise from security interconnectedness by examining the individual and collective effects of de¬pendency, interdependency, and relationality within vehicular security and its ecosys-tem. The third contribution presents a security architecture featuring a hierarchi¬cal self-aware security that effectively establishes accountability at the system-level through an integrated security-specifc black-box. The fnal contribution is twofold: frst, it includes a proof-of-concept regarding the necessity of quantum key distribution for securing in-vehicle and external transactions and communications. Second, it proposes a Quantum Vehicular Ecosystem (QVE), exploring quantum-like modeling in the vehicular domain from the perspectives of design, implementation, simulation, impact, and society’s role in service and security demands.

It is evident that increasingly intricate in-vehicle security systems with their complex hybrid architectures and automation-driven features are here to stay. As a result, security seams and chains will continue to develop, each evolving in response to specifc domains and advancements. Therefore, without dynamic, adaptive, and self-aware security solutions that extend beyond in-vehicle interactions and communications, the benefts of dynamic features and functionalities will not align with the vision of intelligent mobility. The contributions of this dissertation can be applied beyond the vehicular ecosystem and its networks. Over time, more security seams and chains will be established due to increasing dependencies and inter-dependencies.