WirelessCar CEO Martin Rosell sees a bright future for software-defined vehicles, but he says they will need “better cybersecurity than a bank.” The digital service developer, which works with automakers such as Volkswagen Group, Volvo Cars, Jaguar Land Rover and Subaru, aims to help provide that kind of peace of mind. Rosell also outlines how automakers can monetize services in connected cars by making them more personalized in an interview with Automotive News Europe Correspondent Nathan Eddy.
Why does security need to be a focal point for the connected car, and how will we see the approach to connected car security change over the next few years?
We have seen it change dramatically over the last four or five years. If you can hack connected car systems, you basically get access to the car, and with more automated functions and software driven functions like braking and steering, that is something we need to protect. It needs to have better cybersecurity than a bank. If you can manipulate a fleet of cars, that’s bad. That’s one side. The other side is the personal data that is available: Where you are driving? Why are you going there? That is information that shouldn’t fall into the wrong hands. We are working hard on this from all angles. From ISO standards to NIST controls on top of that, A-SPICE (Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination), providing documentation. If you put together all these requirements, which you must fulfill, this is more security than a bank. Having said that, nothing is unbreakable. We know there are forces on the other side trying to unlock our work. It’s a constant challenge with no end in sight. Therefore, we need to be extremely proactive addressing the cybersecurity issues going forward.