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The cyber threat landscape is constantly evolving. While connected cars have been available for several years, new threats are emerging. In the past, the automotive industry focused on finding vulnerabilities within connected vehicles. While that’s still critical, new cyberattacks against the automotive industry require a proactive approach. That approach requires automotive threat intelligence. Here are four reasons why.
Reason #1: If You Haven’t Been Hacked, You Will Be
More than 600 publicly reported automotive cyber incidents targeting the smart mobility ecosystem have been reported. According to Forbes, about 70% of large industrial enterprises have received at least one cyber attack. New cyber threats are always emerging, and threat intelligence is the best way to combat them.
With cyber threat intelligence, threat analysts focus on analyzing and collecting information on publicly reported cyber incidents, as well as on the deep and dark web. Most cyber threat intelligence focuses on threats to a company’s infrastructure. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), Tier 1 and 2 suppliers, insurance companies, and shared mobility and rental car players all need cyber threat intelligence that focuses on the specific threats that impact connected vehicles. A generalized approach to cybersecurity could lead to intelligence gaps.
Reason #2: Vehicles Are More Complex Than Ever
Consumers want smarter, safer vehicles. That complexity leads to more points of vulnerability. The number of vehicle nodes keeps increasing, with complex vehicles having up to 100 units. To stay competitive, innovation must continue, and that leads to more opportunities for bad actors and more pressure on security operation centers (SOCs) to keep up. An automotive threat feed gives you real-time information that you can incorporate into the design and manufacturing process. Future connected vehicle cyberattacks can be minimized by disabling compromised accounts and notifying customers.
Reason #3: Your Supply Chain
While you might be confident about your cybersecurity approach, how confident are you about others in your supply chain? Hackers look for vulnerabilities in every aspect of the vehicle. One weak link in the chain could lead to devastating consequences, including expensive recalls. An effective threat feed benefits everyone in the supply chain.
Reason #4: You Can’t Afford to Lose Consumer Trust
According to Forbes, 80% of automotive customers say they wouldn’t buy from a hacked company. All it will take is one massive hack, and a company could go bankrupt. The stakes are high.
An automotive cyber threat intelligence feed allows OEMs to monitor and manage threats to the supply chain. Tier 1 and 2 companies can more confidently build the next generation of products. Shared mobility and rental car players can spot malicious vendors selling user data. Vehicle SOCs (VSOCs) and threat analysts can better detect and determine the next steps.
One automotive cybersecurity company, Upstream Security, built the first threat intelligence operation targeting the automotive industry — AutoThreat Intelligence. It helps organizations develop their own intelligence-led security operations by providing visibility into the threat landscape. Upstream AutoThreat uncovers vulnerabilities in popular components and vehicles, as well as metadata gathered from connected data feeds. To learn more, check out Upstream’s new 2021 Global Automotive Cybersecurity Report and request access to its AutoThreat Intelligence Portal.
