Vehicle Security: Risk Assessment in Transportation

Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) are critical infrastructure that are not immune to both physical and cyber threats. Vehicles are cyber/physical systems which are a core component of ITS, can be either a target or a launching point for an attack on the ITS network. Unknown vehicle security vulnerabilities trigger a race among adversaries to exploit the weaknesses and security experts to mitigate the vulnerability. In this study, the authors identified opportunities for adversaries to take control of the in-vehicle network, which can compromise the safety, privacy, reliability, efficiency, and security of the transportation system. This study contributes in three ways to the literature of ITS security and resiliency. First, the authors aggregate individual risks that are associated with hacking the in-vehicle network to determine system-level risk. Second, they employ a risk-based model to conduct a qualitative vulnerability-oriented risk assessment. Third, they identify the consequences of hacking the in-vehicle network through a risk-based approach, using an impact-likelihood matrix. The qualitative assessment communicates risk outcomes for policy analysis. The outcome of this study would be of interest and usefulness to policymakers and engineers concerned with the potential vulnerabilities of the critical infrastructures.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ABR10 Standing Committee on Critical Transportation Infrastructure Protection.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Kelarestaghi, Kaveh Bakhsh
  • Foruhandeh, Mahsa
  • Heaslip, Kevin
  • Gerdes, Ryan
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 98th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2019-1-13 to 2019-1-17
• Date: 2019

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 16p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Computer security; Connected vehicles; Highway safety; Intelligent transportation systems; Intelligent vehicles; Mobile communication systems; Risk assessment
• Identifier Terms: U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01697958
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 19-04888
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 1 2019 3:51PM