Vehicles of The Future: Jennifer Tisdale Of GRIMM On The Leading Edge Technologies That Are Making Cars & Trucks Smarter, Safer, and More Sustainable

An Interview With David Leichner

Be flexible. You may find that your aspirational goal manifests itself in ways you did not originally plan. Changing how you achieve your goal or tweaking what your goal represents shows increased understanding and maturation for what you deem to be important. Don’t be afraid to switch paths.

The automotive industry has been disrupted recently with exciting new technologies that have made cars and trucks much smarter, much safer, and much more sustainable and more environmentally friendly.

What other exciting disruptive technologies will we see in the next few years?

How much longer will fossil fuel powered cars be produced?

When will we see fully autonomous vehicles?

Can we overcome the challenge of getting stuck in traffic?

As cars become “moving computers”, do we have to worry about people hacking our cars?

How else will our driving experience be different over the next five years?

Authority Magazine started a new interview series about “Exciting Leading Edge Technologies That Are Making Cars & Trucks Smarter, Safer, and More Sustainable.” In this series we are talking to leaders of automotive companies, automotive tech companies, EV companies, and other tech leaders who can talk about the vehicles of the future. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jennifer Tisdale.

Jennifer Tisdale is the CEO at GRIMM, a cyber research firm headquartered in Reston, Virginia. Jennifer is a cyber-economics strategist recognized for building cybersecurity strategies and programs for industry, government, and academia. Her expertise has been concentrated on the security of connected, Cyber-Physical Systems, technologies and her portfolio include expertise for Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT), Smart Cities development and planning, Critical Infrastructure, and Advanced Transportation Mobility including Connected & Automated Vehicles, Aerospace, and the securing of unmanned military platforms. Previously, Jennifer is recognized for holding the first “mobility” job in the United States, serving as the Cyber-Mobility program strategist for the State of Michigan. Jennifer’s work created the foundation for Michigan’s economic strategy to band together automotive, defense and aerospace industries with embedded systems cybersecurity, charting a new economic development path for the state. In 2018 Jennifer was voted one of SC Magazine’s “Women to Watch” in Cybersecurity, and is an advocate for increased diversity, equity, and inclusion in the industry. She values partnerships and the need to build trust in a zero-trust world. Jennifer resides in Metro-Detroit and embraces her mission of banding together cybersecurity with advanced transportation mobility.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started in the automotive industry?

Sure. I was born, raised, and live in Metro Detroit. The Motor City. Where every family is touched by the auto industry in one way or another. A lifetime of watching and hearing about the struggles of the industry and the impacts to an economy singularly focused on the success of one industry. It unknowingly shapes who you are and how you think about cars.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

No., I can’t share the story without disclosing sensitive details. But I can tell you that it is such an amazing time to be in the automotive mobility industry! So much change. So much opportunity. So many unknowns. It is a time for pioneers and visionaries. It’s not our grandfather’s auto industry anymore.

Ok wonderful. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell our readers about the most interesting projects you are working on now?

I am so fortunate to have this amazing team of cyber researchers and engineers that specialize in securing cyber physical systems of all sorts — the real-life version of planes, trains, and automobiles including operational environments. Of course, this may include OT environments found in manufacturing facilities, but it also includes the future operating environments for connected and automated vehicles. The cybersecurity of charging stations and grid connectivity for Electric Vehicles and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are some of the interesting topic areas we are engaging.

How do you think this might change the world?

This is such a transformative time in automotive industry. The evolution to Electric Vehicles (EVs), the advancement of Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) and the automotive IoT environments the industry is developing to increase safety and convenience for consumers. These technological advancements bring a promise of future mobility which will change the way we move people and goods around the globe. The ability to bring the freedom of transportation to those not previously able to drive either through physical impairments, lack of accessibility or affordability — it is truly a phenomenal time to think about how transportation impacts and changes our society. The role of automotive cybersecurity professionals should be to support the industry through security product or practice solutions to ensure we are applying a layered security approach to the cars and modes of transportation we use every day. Bake in the security in the R&D process and determine best practices to evaluate, update security and to mitigate risk throughout the lifecycle of both the vehicle and the operating environment.

Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks of this technology that people should think more deeply about?

The mindset of automotive cybersecurity professionals is to support the promise of mobility through thought exercises of worst-case scenario. Let’s keep in mind that there is a nuance between what is in the realm of the possible versus what is probable. Cars of today and of the future are rolling computers. Though we hear this analogy a lot I do not think we, as a society, understand what this means. On the side of absolute worst-case scenario, we must consider the Hollywood-esque scenarios of remote commandeering of a car or cars through the manipulation of the code and sensor technologies communicating with the vehicle and its operating environment (i.e., Smart Cities and connected roadways). What would it be mean to be able to weaponize a car? It is very thought-provoking and potentially deadly. On the other end of the spectrum recognizing that data is “king” is an important consideration. Whomever owns, captures, or can manipulate the data, wins. As a society we say we want to protect our data yet millions of people are giving away their personally identifiable information, data, in the name of entertainment and convenience ever single day. The navigation system in your car and connected to your phone, alone, can provide enough personal information about you, your life, and your whereabouts to make the average person uncomfortable. Protecting this data, and by proxy, the vehicle passengers is also very important.

What are a few things that most excite you about the automotive industry as it is today? Why?

I know it may seem counterintuitive given the doomsday-ist examples I just provided but I remain excited about the future of cars and transportation mobility. Transportation will become more equitable around the globe, lessen environmental impacts, and decrease the number of automotive fatalities and injuries. Our elderly and those with physical impairments be able to receive care and/or age in place more easily. Shared mobility options will enable more affordable and convenient transportation options and ITS environments will enable the cars to be driven more safely under a multitude of road and weather conditions.

What are a few things that most concern you about the automotive industry as it is today? What must be done to address these challenges?

For reasons we could attribute to the highly competitive nature of the industry, historic economic struggles of the industry, and fight to maintain relevancy in a changing societal landscape. The auto industry is quite an insular place. It is challenging to share information and to collaborate outside of the industry and, sometimes, within the industry itself. Because the car is now a part of the Internet of Things (IoT) world, it is increasingly critical for the automotive industry to be working with each other, other industries facing similar issues, and to work with utility, state/federal agency with a similar mission for increased safety and security.

Based on your vantage point as an insider in the automotive industry, what other exciting disruptive technologies will we see in the next few years? Can you share some of the new developments that will make vehicles smarter, safer, and more sustainable?

From hybrid electric vehicles to fully electric vehicles, it is clear the future of automotive is electric! Every OEM has doubled down on the electric vehicle future. Some of the coolest research in this space is of wireless electric vehicle charging roads. One of the big concerns with EVs is the distant they can travel between charges. The development and integration of roadways which can wirelessly charge an EV while driving is an amazing concept and technological feat. I love seeing my state, Michigan, once again take the lead with this necessary R&D. As we see this technology deployed, we will be able to attain the goal of carbon neutrality bringing environmental benefits not attainable with an abundance of fossil fuel powered cars.

In your opinion, how much longer will fossil fuel powered cars be produced? When do you think EVs will be the majority of vehicles in use? Can you explain?

It depends on the area of the world we are talking about. I have read that in the U.K. there is legislation on the books to outlaw the sale of fossil fueled cars trucks by 2030 with a ban on hybrid powered vehicles in 2035. It is unlikely we will see this type of aggressive legislation around the globe, simultaneously, so the odds of still having the ability to sell fossil fueled vehicles beyond 2030 will be possible. From a business perspective, the question is will be profitable for OEMs to continue to develop and produce petrol fueled cars. The answer is likely, no. Within the auto industry, the consensus is that they will be exclusively selling hybrid or fully electric fleets by 2035.

When do you think we will see fully autonomous vehicles deployed in a mainstream way? What do you think are the main barriers to reaching that stage?

I believe it will be slow deployment of fully autonomous vehicle and it will happen in very subtle ways. It will begin with public transit such as electric, autonomous busses and shuttles on corporate and college campuses. Slow migration into other forms of public transit where the vehicles operate on a standard route. From there we may see a layer of autonomy introduced in the trucking and logistics industry. Driver shortages have been a concern for a while in the trucking industry and deploying autonomous trucks or “leader-follower” convoys is a way to address the drive shortage through technology. In terms of passenger vehicles, I think we will continue to see the use for services such as with Lyft and Uber-like services and an increase of aftermarket add-on features which will provide autonomous valet service, enabling the vehicle to drop passengers at the door of a destination and then remotely drive itself to a parking lot via sensor and communication technology. There are many questions needing answers in relation to autonomous vehicles. For example, how does this impact who can have a driver’s license? Do we need driver’s licenses? What does this mean in terms of liability? If there is an accident, who gets the ticket? Will we have traffic violations and if so, who gets the ticket? It is a truly fascinating concept to think about. In the end, the coolest technology in the world doesn’t mean a thing if the consumer isn’t willing or motivated to make the purchase. The benefits will always need to be evident, communicated and marketed to the buyer. This said, I would estimate we are still 15–20 years, or more, away from having autonomous vehicles deployed to the masses.

How else will our driving experience be different over the next five years?

Aside from changes in power generation, consumers can expect their cars to increase passenger safety through increased technology integration with improved collision and traffic avoidance, remote vehicle management, such as the self-parking features, and infotainment systems able to sync more rto passengers’ phones and applications even while away from their vehicles.

My expertise is in product security, so I’m particularly interested in this question. Recently there were famous cases of hackers breaking into the software running automobiles, for ransomware or for other malicious purposes. Based on your experience, what should auto companies do to uncover vulnerabilities in the development process to safeguard their vehicles?

This is exactly the area my company focuses. The cybersecurity of the vehicles, technology, and communications to the car, itself. Auto companies have really improved their cybersecurity game since 2015 when all of theory was demonstrated in the media. The industry has acted and now have full teams dedicated to baking cybersecurity into the vehicles during R&D phases. Additionally, we have seen the advent of the Auto-ISAC, to convene knowledge sharing of automotive security experts and the birth of the ISO / SAE J21434 standard for automotive cybersecurity. This is all great progress in a relatively short period of time. However, there is always room for improvement. I believe the automotive OEMs and Tier Suppliers would benefit from prioritizing and funding cybersecurity research, testing and products collaboratively with non-traditional automotive suppliers, including a prioritization of using neutral, third-party cybersecurity testers to evaluate their products and systems.

In recent times, many auto manufacturers have introduced over-the-air (OTA) services that can potentially give hackers an entry point into the inner systems of the vehicles. Based on your experience, what can vehicle manufacturers do to respond to cyber attacks?

To add on to what was just mentioned, the industry and regulators need to address automotive cybersecurity from a legacy system perspective. Cars today are on the road 10–20 years and with multiple owners. Cybersecurity is not a “one and done” solution, I wish it were but it’s not. Cybersecurity is evergreen. The longer a vehicle is on the market and the more familiar attackers are with the platform, the more likely they will figure out a work around. OTAs may be a layer in the cybersecurity solution for vehicles but it is not likely to be a singular solution, especially if vehicle operators can decline the OTA. Many automotive security professionals, hackers if you will, believe ransomware in vehicles is a real threat. The weaponization of vehicles is scary and a great headline. But the attacker motivation is typically tied to financial gain. If it becomes possible to put ransomware on vehicles, in mass, and get paid… we will have a problem, as individuals, prevented from completing our daily obligations unless we pay the ransom.

Fantastic. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career In The Automotive Industry?

This is such a BIG question given the enormity of what the term automotive industry includes. I have given this a great deal of thought and I would submit that to have a highly successful career in the automotive industry, from R&D, to production, to the dealerships selling and maintaining the vehicles, the top five traits you need to be successful, include:

1. Be passionate. The most successful automotive industry professionals are passionate for what they do and why they do it. They have an appreciation for how the auto industry changed the way we live once and, and excitement, for being able to make significant lifestyle changes again.
2. Be aspirational. Do not settle for what is attainable, strive to be aspirational in goal setting. In 2013 before automotive security was widely discussed, I set an aspirational goal to dedicate my work to banding together the worlds of automotive and cybersecurity for the good of public safety. I wasn’t quite certain how I would attain the goal or the right path to take but I knew it was my purpose to contribute to public safety through security.
3. Be flexible. You may find that your aspirational goal manifests itself in ways you did not originally plan. Changing how you achieve your goal or tweaking what your goal represents shows increased understanding and maturation for what you deem to be important. Don’t be afraid to switch paths.
4. Be persistent. Be ready to be told “no” or some version of no, a lot. I’ve heard things like “not possible,” “it will never work,” or “nobody will listen to us.” I have found that when I receive these types of answers, I need to ask different questions. One successful strategy has been for me to ask “How” questions. “How” can we achieve this “X” goal instead of “Can we achieve “X?”
5. Be holistic. Have a holistic understanding of the automotive industry. Learn what other departments and divisions care about. If you’re in R&D, take the time to understand your legal, marketing, finance teams. Once we understand how others measure successful and their goals, we can begin shattering those internal silos within our organizations and identify common ground to which we may find a new path to achieving our goals.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

If I could inspire any movement to bring the most amount of good to people, I would hope to inspire more of a spirit of collaboration and community. Our strength comes in the form of our differences. It helps us solve hard problems, build cool “stuff” and to work together towards goals for the greater good. Of course, this is good for all of us in our daily lives, but I’d love to see more of a focus on the growth of a more inclusive automotive community. Changing how we approach business and technical problems will require the inclusion of people who have different experiences and different approaches to problem-solving. There is a push to find non-traditional automotive suppliers. We should also be pushing to invite in a non-traditional automotive workforce.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

You can follow me on LinkedIn, at: linkedin.com/in/jennifertisdale1 to stay up-to-date on my work, articles and information for my new podcast coming later in 2022.

Thank you so much for the time you spent doing this interview. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success.

About The Interviewer: David Leichner is a veteran of the Israeli high-tech industry with significant experience in the areas of cyber and security, enterprise software and communications. At Cybellum, a leading provider of Product Security Lifecycle Management, David is responsible for creating and executing the marketing strategy and managing the global marketing team that forms the foundation for Cybellum’s product and market penetration. Prior to Cybellum, David was CMO at SQream and VP Sales and Marketing at endpoint protection vendor, Cynet. David is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Jerusalem Technology College. He holds a BA in Information Systems Management and an MBA in International Business from the City University of New York.