Internet of Things Applications

What once seemed far-fetched, niche, even space-age is now central to the immediate roadmap of just about every automotive manufacturer in the world.



In reality, connected cars aren’t all that new: sensors, telemetry, even performance data have been part of automotive DNA for years. Yet suddenly, the very notion of the car—its function, the business model(s) that underpin it, notions of ownership, and the experience of driving as we have always known it— are transforming. However, as the technology of the car transforms from a ‘dumb’ frame of metal and mechanical parts to ‘smart’ hardware-software computing platform, the outcome isn’t just an increase in functions and services, but significant increases in vulnerability as well.

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Cars are inherently risky. What’s different now?

Risk and cars go hand-in-hand. It doesn’t take connectivity to prove that. Already some 32,675 drivers die in motor vehicle-related accidents every year. But the risks inherent to a ‘smart’ cars are manifold because these vehicles are quickly becoming more like systems that single nodes. They are complex networks of data, sensors, mechanics, and users, transmitting information, acting in response to multiple stimuli, and connected across a variety of stakeholders. Thus to assess the vulnerability of a car requires we assess the vulnerability of the vehicle system as a whole.

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It’s time to accelerate innovation, not just in automotive features, but security and safety too

When we dismounted horses and stepped out of carriages, we never dreamed of the far-reaching benefits and simultaneous risks that we would confront in a world where cars and connected technology have both become ubiquitous. As we stand on the precipice of the next revolution in transportation, the industry must move toward developing better security controls and safeguards into and outside of the car. It must build ‘by design’ better identity mechanisms and integration controls, all while balancing a growing expectation for an altogether better driver experience. It must move towards strong partnerships and clear communications, roles, and protections for all stakeholders.

As technology evolves, so too will use cases, adopters, security threats, and cyber penetration techniques. All entities—OEMs, dealerships, service providers, government actors, even consumers—must recognize that security, and thus privacy and safety, in smart systems are not a binary “secure or insecure” achievement; rather security in the IoT is an ongoing cycle of assessment, re-evaluation, and optimization. Harbor Research offers a three-step framework to holistically address IoT security to aid in this quest. The impacts of connectivity in the automotive sector has the potential to transform virtually every part of the driving experience and value chain. And while such a road is ‘paved with good intentions,’ achieving this vision relies on our embracing a new approach to automotive security, privacy, and safety.

See more at: harborresearch.com