Security Concerns from the Start

By: Joelle Bosia

Cybersecurity is a pressing issue in the field of autonomous vehicles. The looming threat of hackers is always present. Most people only think about the cybersecurity of the vehicle once it is already on the market and in the ownership of a consumer. What about the security of the vehicle before it is all put together? To build a car, parts typically come from a multitude of suppliers. Parts such as brakes, power seats, instrument panels, and power steering mechanisms are often supplied from other companies to the one that is making the whole vehicle. How does one ensure that the supply chain is secure? There are so many parts coming from different locations that the supply chain must be closely monitored. For example, Tesla gets some of their parts from companies such as AGC Automotive, Brembo, Fisher Dynamics, Inteva products, Modine Manufacturing, Sika, Stabilus, and ZF Lenksysteme to name a few. What Tesla gets from each company can be seen here. With a multitude of companies such as Tesla, Waymo, Uber, Toyota, and BMW, there is an even greater number of companies from which the parts of the cars come from. There is a huge security concern with making sure that each of the individual parts going into the car is secure before it all gets put together. Being able to closely monitor every single piece is crucial for the safety of the consumer, and figuring out how to monitor them all is an essential part of being able to put the vehicles out onto the market with confidence that they are secure.