4 minute read 31 Aug 2020
Connected car is the new reality

The car is connected now, but are we safe?

Vinay Raghunath
By Vinay Raghunath

EY India Consulting AMI Leader

Passionate about Automotive, Industrial and Consumer Goods. Experience in route-to-market, supply chain, post-merger integration, digital and analytics. Squash player. Curious about Indian history.

4 minute read 31 Aug 2020
Related topics Automotive Mobility Automation
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In the connected ecosystem, it will be critical to ensure that consumers continue to experience innovation in connected vehicles while trusting the safety, seamlessness,  relevance and durability of these solutions.

In brief
  • Key factors driving the growth of the connected cars market include increase in the number of connected features in economy vehicles and increase in vehicle legislation and industry compliances.
  • New safety norms are encouraging automakers to equip the vehicles with safety and security connected features, which in turn is increasing the demand for connected cars.
  • Various technologies such as heads-up displays, smart infotainment and telematics systems are becoming an integral part of high-end automobiles.
A  connected car and in-car connectivity have moved on from being mere buzzwords to becoming a ubiquitous ask by the Indian consumer. The industry is already focused on multiple aspects of this transformation which include making connectivity a standard feature (as opposed to being an optional add-on), creating new business and pricing models for connectivity solutions and working with regulatory bodies to establish standards to enable a faster roll out.

It is expected that the end consumer’s continuous demand for seamless in-car technology will continue to fuel innovation and collaboration between organizations spanning multiple sectors like telecom, internet service providers, automakers and component manufacturers.

Most Original Equipment Manufacturers(OEMs) are gradually expanding their internal organizational teams to work with these new competency areas while also solving challenges related to integrating vehicle platform development cycle time with the speed of development in the entertainment, communication and information technology space.

By investing in the next wave of state-of-the-art connected technology  including advanced services that learn drivers’ personal habits and anticipate their responses, OEMs have an opportunity to claim a greater share of the market.

As it is relatively cheaper to match premium brands’ offerings around connectivity, volume brands can also use their connected features to compete with the upper end of the market.
Vinay Raghunath
EY India Consulting AMI Leader

The connected car industry needs a road map for cybersecurity

As much as we’re all enjoying an increasing number of ways to stay safe, connected and informed in our vehicles, there’s a growing amount of data generated, exchanged, processed and stored in our cars. And this means the number of attack vectors is on the rise, leaving financial, personal and vehicle information vulnerable and attractive to hackers. The problem isn’t so much about accessing the vehicle to drive it away, it’s about remotely accessing the critical infrastructure of a highly connected vehicle and compromising the safety of the vehicle and its passengers.

The question is, when will we have a common, binding information security standard for vehicles? And how can manufacturers work now to ensure that cybersecurity is a priority in our cars?

Vehicle manufacturers need to adopt a cybersecurity approach that addresses not only obvious exposures in their car’s software, but also the hidden vulnerabilities.

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Understanding of regulatory requirements

Understanding key industry standards will provide a benchmark of the security standards that manufacturers need to meet. It will also inform decisions around security by design or the industry.

Secured architecture

Car buyers will become increasingly aware of the privacy and security limitations of connected cars and will need to be continually reassured that manufacturers are now investing in cybersecurity alongside design and car safety.

As more connected cars are designed, it’s time to see security as a positive business differentiator for car innovation rather than a perceived hindrance. Time is therefore right to seek advice from security experts to ensure that the industry will continue to drive innovation and competitive edge and at the same time ensure that cybersecurity controls are firmly in place.
Burgess Sam Cooper
EY India Cybersecurity Consulting Partner

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Summary

Connected car is the new reality, vehicle manufacturers need to adopt a cybersecurity approach that addresses not only the obvious exposures in their car’s software, but also the hidden vulnerabilities.

About this article

Vinay Raghunath
By Vinay Raghunath

EY India Consulting AMI Leader

Passionate about Automotive, Industrial and Consumer Goods. Experience in route-to-market, supply chain, post-merger integration, digital and analytics. Squash player. Curious about Indian history.

Related topics Automotive Mobility Automation
Upvote