https://www.lawfareblog.com/japanese-automobile-industry-taking-next-steps-cybersecurity-collaboration
By Mihoko Matsubara
lawfareblog.com
July 7, 2020
The discussion around cybersecurity risk tends to overlook one key sector—the
automobile sector. It’s an industry with some very specific cybersecurity
challenges, and recent efforts from Japan reveal a successful way to combat
these vulnerabilities.
In Japan, the effort to improve cybersecurity within the automotive sector
began in earnest after a cascade of cyberattacks on the sector. First, a series
of WannaCry cyberattacks disrupted Nissan’s factory operations in the U.K. in
2017. Cyberattacks on the Japanese automobile sector continued afterward, too.
Toyota’s sales subsidiaries fell victim to cyber espionage in 2019, and the
personal information of 3.1 million customers may have been leaked as a result.
Honda was hit by another cyberattack in June 2020, which resulted in the
temporary suspension of the company’s operations in Italy, Japan, North
America, Turkey and the U.K. These incidents have been a wakeup call for the
industry to realize that cybersecurity is crucial for the sustainable business
operations of automakers and their suppliers.
Some observers may think that cybersecurity risks are less serious in the
automotive industry than in other sectors. But potential nightmare scenarios of
cybersecurity failures in the auto industry include the suspension of
day-to-day operations and the theft of intellectual property and customers’
personal information. Cyberattacks on the auto sector not only can have
negative consequences for the products and services for customers but also can
threaten the safety of customers and make them uncomfortable about their
security.
Cybersecurity for automobiles is extremely complicated. It depends on three
different layers: the automobile itself, the automaker and its suppliers (this
includes electric devices and software), and the service providers (such as car
dealers and car-sharing services).
[...]
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