How to Develop a Secure Body Control Module in the Era of Automotive Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity threat has started to affect automotive systems more than ever. The need for electronic control units to update themselves on the go brings in the threat of ECUs being hacked. Body control module unit being one of the most crucial pieces of computer sitting inside a vehicle is also equally susceptible.

So how do we build a BCM unit that is protected from cybersecurity attacks? Thankfully, ISO 21434 standard for automotive security has provided the much needed clarity and guidance to address this issue. However, the heavy lifting of developing such BCM has to be done by the engineers involved in the process.

Developing a secure Body Control Module (BCM) in the era of automotive cybersecurity is a complex process. It requires a thorough understanding of the latest security threats and best practices as per ISO 21434 standard.

We bring to you some key steps that can be taken to develop a secure BCM unit:

Conducting a security risk assessment: First, the potential vulnerabilities and threats to the BCM have to be identified and documented. These threats and vulnerabilities should then be assessed for their likelihood and impact. It is similar to how we check the severity, occurrence and exposure of a hazard while implanting functional safety.

Secure communication protocol implementation: The best practices of cybersecurity have been used and matured with their usage in IT industry. Using the proven secure communication protocols, such as Transport Layer Security (TLS) or Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), to protect data transmitted between the BCM and other systems in the vehicle can prove to be highly effective.

Use Secure boot and secure firmware update processes: Implementation of secure boot and firmware update processes ensures that only authorized software is running on the BCM and that updates can only be made by authorized parties. Such a feature safeguards against cyberattacks aimed at injecting malware into BCM.

Keep software always updated: The BCM unit must be updated with latest security patches and software updates to counter newly discovered vulnerabilities.

A body control module must be designed with keeping such cybersecurity aspects in mind. However, how can an existing BCM be made compliant with cybersecurity standards?

A cybersecurity gap analysis of an existing BCM unit is the key to assess the vulnerabilities and suggest modifications. Conducting a cybersecurity analysis of a Body Control Module (BCM) involves evaluating the module's design, development, and implementation to identify potential vulnerabilities and assess the risk of a cyber attack.