Consortium forming to protect vehicle computer systems

SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 26 (UPI) -- A consortium to research and develop systems to protect computerized systems vehicles from cybermischief is being formed by the Southwest Research Institute.

The consortium is being called the Automotive Consortium for Embedded Security (ACES), and is to provide pre-competitive and non-competitive research in automotive embedded systems security to protect the safety, reliability, brand image, trade secrets and privacy of client members' future products.

It is open to original equipment manufacturers and affiliated businesses in the automotive industry.

"The automation and connectivity that make automobiles safer, more efficient and more responsive also expose them to higher risk of malicious cyber-attacks, which could compromise safety and damage an automaker's reputation," said Mark Brooks, a senior research engineer in SwRI's Automation and Data Systems Division. "ACES is looking at emerging research both in new technologies and new protections for embedded security for the automotive world."

SwRI said embedded systems are processors designed for a specific function within a larger system. They typically handle a specific task and have been optimized to reduce size and cost and increase reliability and performance and vehicles typically have dozens of such systems, governing actions such as braking and steering.

ACES is expected to kick off early next year following an information exchange meeting next month.