"UWF Cybersecurity Expert Shares Research on Connected Vehicle Security; Warns of Vulnerabilities in Modern Vehicles"
Dr. Guillermo Francia, III, director of research and innovation for the University of West Florida's (UWF) Center for Cybersecurity, was chosen to present his research on connected vehicle security at the Transatlantic (US-Ireland-Northern Ireland) Workshop on Collaborative Internet of Things/Cyber-Physical Systems Cybersecurity Research. His research raises awareness of the cyber threats present in modern vehicles. Francia pointed out that nearly all modern automotive vehicles have some form of electronic connectivity, such as GPS devices, smartphones, telematics devices, roadside sensor units, on-board devices, and Wi-Fi. These connectivity features offer novel conveniences but provide an expanded attack surface for adversaries to exploit. One example, according to Francia, is an adversary successfully taking control of a vehicle's speed on a busy interstate highway. His research has revealed several cyber threats related to connected vehicles, including the possibility of the radio frequency signal from the keyless remote fob transmitter being intercepted and cloned for a replay attack. Research has also highlighted vulnerabilities in automotive controls stemming from insecure communication channels, the vulnerability of the inter-vehicle network due to an insecure protocol, and the viability of Machine Learning (ML) methods in recognizing various attacks on the vehicle network. This article continues to discuss Francia’s research project on securing connected cars from cybersecurity threats.