The Department of Transport (DoT) has recently announced the publication by the British Standards Institute (BSI) of a new cybersecurity standard for the manufacture of self-driving vehicles.
The cybersecurity standard (PAS 1885:2018) has been funded by the DoT and developed by the BSI working with academics, experts from leading businesses in the car industry (including Jaguar Land Rover, Ford and Bentley), as well as the National Cyber Security Centre.
The release of the standard follows the government’s publication last year of a document setting out the “key principles” of cybersecurity for automated vehicles, including a requirement that systems should be designed to be resilient to attacks and respond appropriately when defences fail. The DoT’s view is that car manufacturers will be able to use the new standard to demonstrate that they are following the “key principles”.
The UK market for connected and automated vehicles is forecast to be worth up to £52 billion by 2035. The market presents a major opportunity for manufacturers but also poses challenges associated with the risk of data theft and hacking.
No doubt the cybersecurity standard will be welcomed by manufacturers in this sector, as it provides guidance as well as improving the resilience and readiness of the industry, which should in turn help keep the UK at the forefront of this emerging market.
Further details of the cybersecurity standard (PAS 1885:2018) can be found here.