Description

This curriculum spans the technical and organizational practices found in multi-year automotive cybersecurity programs, covering threat modeling, secure communications, hardware security, OTA updates, intrusion detection, supply chain controls, compliance, and incident response as implemented in OEM and Tier 1 engineering environments.

Module 1: Threat Modeling and Risk Assessment in Vehicle Systems

Conducting STRIDE-based threat modeling on CAN, LIN, and Ethernet-based vehicle networks to identify spoofing and tampering risks in ECU communications.
Selecting appropriate attack surface boundaries for domain controllers versus centralized high-performance computers in modern E/E architectures.
Integrating ISO/SAE 21434 risk assessment workflows with OEM-specific threat libraries to prioritize vulnerabilities in telematics units.
Documenting asset valuation for over-the-air (OTA) update mechanisms, including cryptographic keys and firmware images, to support risk scoring.
Managing trade-offs between attacker knowledge assumptions (e.g., vehicle access vs. remote exploitation) when scoring exploitability in TARA reports.
Coordinating threat model updates across supplier tiers when integrating third-party infotainment modules with access to critical vehicle functions.

Module 2: Secure Communication Protocols in In-Vehicle Networks

Implementing CAN FD with CANsec to provide message authentication while maintaining real-time performance constraints for powertrain ECUs.
Configuring Ethernet AVB/TSN security profiles to enforce time-synchronized encrypted communication between ADAS sensors and central compute.
Deploying TLS 1.3 for secure communication between vehicle gateways and cloud backend services, including certificate rotation strategies.
Evaluating the impact of MACsec on latency budgets in zonal E/E architectures with multi-hop Ethernet switches.
Designing secure session resumption mechanisms for frequent short-lived connections between mobile devices and vehicle Bluetooth stacks.
Hardening diagnostic protocols (UDS over DoIP) with mutual authentication and encrypted data transmission to prevent unauthorized reprogramming.

Module 3: Hardware Security Modules and Root of Trust

Integrating Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) into body control modules to offload cryptographic operations and protect secret keys.
Selecting between discrete HSMs and integrated secure enclaves based on cost, performance, and supply chain constraints in mass production.
Implementing secure boot chains using immutable ROM code and signed firmware images across multiple ECUs in a vehicle platform.
Managing key provisioning workflows during vehicle manufacturing, including secure transfer from OEM to Tier 1 production lines.
Designing fallback mechanisms for secure boot validation failures without compromising diagnostic accessibility for authorized service tools.
Enforcing physical tamper resistance in gateway ECUs located in accessible vehicle areas using active shielding and zeroization triggers.

Module 4: Over-the-Air (OTA) Update Security

Architecting dual-signed OTA update packages with both OEM and supplier signatures to ensure integrity and authorization in multi-vendor environments.
Implementing delta update verification mechanisms to prevent rollback attacks while minimizing bandwidth consumption in low-connectivity regions.
Designing secure rollback policies that balance safety compliance with the need to recover from failed updates in safety-critical systems.
Enforcing secure update queuing and scheduling to prevent denial-of-service conditions during simultaneous ECU updates.
Integrating OTA update logs with SIEM systems for centralized detection of anomalous update attempts across vehicle fleets.
Validating secure storage of update packages in intermediate ECUs to prevent tampering during multi-stage distribution within the vehicle.

Module 5: Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS) in Vehicles

Deploying signature-based and anomaly-based detection rules on vehicle gateways to identify CAN bus flooding and fuzzy attacks.
Configuring rate limiting and message filtering rules on domain controllers to mitigate denial-of-service attacks from compromised ECUs.
Establishing secure communication channels between onboard IDPS and cloud-based threat intelligence platforms for signature updates.
Managing false positive rates in behavioral models for ADAS sensor data streams without degrading real-time performance.
Implementing secure logging of security events with tamper-evident storage to support forensic investigations post-incident.
Coordinating IDPS response actions (e.g., ECU isolation) with functional safety mechanisms to avoid unintended vehicle behavior.

Module 6: Supply Chain and Third-Party Component Security

Enforcing software bill of materials (SBOM) requirements for third-party software components used in infotainment and connectivity modules.
Validating security compliance of Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers through audit checklists aligned with ISO/SAE 21434 and UN R155.
Implementing secure integration interfaces for third-party apps in open vehicle platforms while restricting access to critical vehicle data.
Managing cryptographic key separation between OEM and supplier responsibilities in shared ECUs like telematics control units.
Conducting penetration testing on supplier-provided ECUs before integration into the vehicle network architecture.
Establishing secure vulnerability disclosure processes with external vendors to coordinate coordinated patch releases.

Module 7: Regulatory Compliance and Cybersecurity Management Systems

Implementing UN R155 cybersecurity management system (CSMS) requirements, including evidence collection for audit readiness.
Mapping organizational roles and responsibilities for cybersecurity across engineering, production, and aftermarket departments.
Conducting periodic cybersecurity audits of in-vehicle systems to maintain compliance throughout the vehicle lifecycle.
Integrating incident response plans with national regulatory reporting obligations under frameworks like NHTSA and ENISA.
Documenting cybersecurity design rationale for safety-certified systems to satisfy both ISO 26262 and ISO/SAE 21434 requirements.
Updating cybersecurity risk assessments when introducing new connectivity features such as V2X or mobile payment systems.

Module 8: Incident Response and Forensic Readiness

Designing secure event logging mechanisms with time synchronization across distributed ECUs for post-incident timeline reconstruction.
Implementing secure remote diagnostics access with multi-factor authentication for authorized service and incident response teams.
Establishing data preservation protocols for vehicle ECUs involved in cybersecurity incidents to support legal and regulatory investigations.
Coordinating with law enforcement and regulatory bodies on data sharing procedures while maintaining vehicle owner privacy.
Conducting tabletop exercises for vehicle fleet compromise scenarios involving stolen credentials or supply chain breaches.
Deploying secure firmware extraction methods for offline analysis of compromised ECUs without altering original evidence.