Automotive Cyber Security

Introduction to Automotive Cyber Security:

We are currently relying on SW and connectivity in vehicles and so we need to protect ourselves from attackers that may try to introduce a vulnerability to our stable system so we need our Security to proactive not reactive as these days.

First what is the difference between Safety and Security:

Safety : Safe From Accident environment, causes harm ISO 26262. 

Security : intentional incident malfunctioning System, causes harm to environment ISO 21434. 

but to get the security in action we need a safety as we will see later in the HW components that used to achieve Cybersecurity 

Automotive Cyber Security: 

As the vehicle connectivity increased ⬆️ the need to Cyber Security increased ⬆️ so Here we use the Cyber Security to protect vehicle electronic systems such as network from digital attacks and unauthorized access

Both principles are focusing on the same ideas (Confidentiality - Integrity - Availability) and by achieving these principles we will have environment protect form cyberattacks

Before success more about the Cyber Security methods and algorithms 

Plain test ( is what we need to encrypt/protect )

Cipher text ( is unreadable text that is converted with one of the Cyber Security Cryptograph Algorithms .

Also the cryptography algorithms is open source but the Keys That used in encryption and description that we need to keep them secure as from its name they are the keys that open the safe) 

Hashing(for data integrity)

So hash here is  to insure data integrity which means that data that I received is unmodified so changing one bit will change the overall hash output so in git using the rebase feature will change the commit hash. Why ?

Ok let’s talk brief about this  

When we request from git to commit a message we now ask from him to save our message through efficient way in size but also Git will maintain the message integrity, robust and immutable history so first 

You can get this hash through the following command git hash-object hello.txt.

so the one example is rebasing in Git change the message Hash because we changed the content so it is the same commit but with different hash. 

Hash is one-way fixed size encryption algorithm 

So we chose the hash algorithm then run it in any data message length and the out will be fixed size whatever this message length is 

Hash algorithms (MD5/SHA256)  we will see a use case in automotive for creating a SW digest (Signing the Software)

Countermeasures: The Security System

Countermeasures are simply the steps you take to protect your car. They fall into three categories.

• Preventive Controls: These are designed to stop an attack before it happens.

  • Example: Locking your car doors, using a steering wheel lock, or installing a car alarm. These measures prevent or deter the thief in the first place.

• Detective Controls: These are used to spot an attack while it's in progress.

  • Example: Your car alarm blaring when a window is broken, or a security camera that sends an alert to your phone when it detects motion near your car. They don't stop the break-in, but they let you know it's happening.

• Corrective Controls: These are the actions you take to fix the damage after an attack.

  • Example: After a break-in, you would repair the broken window (system recovery) and report the theft to the police. You might also add a better alarm system (patching the vulnerability) to prevent future incidents.

Key Concepts in Threat Modeling

Threat modeling is the process of thinking like a hacker to find and fix security weaknesses before they can be exploited.

• Threat Model: This is a structured plan or blueprint of your security. It's where you identify what's important (like the car itself or the valuables inside), what the potential threats are (thieves), how they might attack (the attack vectors), and what you'll do to stop them (the countermeasures).

• Attack Tree: This is a visual map that breaks down an attack into smaller steps. It helps you understand exactly how a hacker could achieve their goal.

STRIDE Model: This is a popular framework used in threat modeling. It's a checklist of common types of threats, helping you brainstorm what could go wrong.

• • Spoofing: Pretending to be someone else.

  • Tampering: Modifying data without permission.

  • Repudiation: Denying that you did something.

  • Information Disclosure: Leaking secret information.

  • Denial of Service (DoS): Preventing the system from working.

  • Elevation of Privilege: Gaining more access than you should have.

Attack Vector vs. Attack Surface

• Attack Vector: This is the specific method / Path a thief uses to get in. For example, using a slim jim to unlock the door, breaking a window, or hacking the keyless entry signal. Each one is a distinct attack vector.

• Attack Surface: This is all the possible entry points combined. It includes all the doors, windows, the trunk, the sunroof, the keyless entry system, the onboard computer's Wi-Fi, and the Bluetooth connection. The entire collection of potential vulnerabilities is the attack surface.

In short, the attack surface is the "what" can be attacked (the doors, windows, etc.), and the attack vector is the "how" it's attacked (breaking the window, hacking the signal).

attack vector in modern Vehicles :

Remote attacks - Physical attacks - Supply Chain attacks

Attack Vs Threat 

attack is the action ; threat is the possibilities 

Threat Vs Risk 

threat is the source of potential harm ; risk is the measure of the harm happiness 

Event :

a specific security log not identified as an incident yet 

Incident :

a security event that compromise the CIA or STRIE security model 

Security Breach or ( Data breach ) :

it is the unauthorized access to the data in a system resulting in the compromise of the confidentiality information