One reason for the growing threat is the increasing connectivity of our automobiles. Making cars part of a global network offers convenient features such as over-the-air updates of vehicle software, but it also opens up new attack vectors.

Autonomous driving requires a constant information exchange with the environment. IT and software systems ensure communication with various endpoints, comfort functions and mobility services such as telematics. This turns modern cars into information hubs and, at the same time, makes them attractive targets for cyberattacks.

In the future, the greatest added value will no longer come from the engineering work involved in developing the engine and powertrain, but from providing and updating the software for the vehicles on the road as quickly as possible. A high complexity increases the risk of security gaps.