Smart Cars, New Risks: Why Cybersecurity Is Becoming a Key Issue for the Future of Mobility
The car is becoming a rolling software system — and cybersecurity is becoming essential. At the Cyber/AI Expo, BMW security expert Martin Arend will explain how the BMW Group is responding to new risks and bringing intelligent mobility safely onto the road.
What happens when a car suddenly brakes at high speed without any input from the driver, the stereo jumps to maximum volume, and the windshield wipers start running at full speed? This extreme scenario was tested by journalist Andy Greenberg for the U.S. technology magazine Wired. It is a scenario that, thanks to modern protective measures and security mechanisms in today’s vehicles, should not occur, as Martin Arend emphasizes. In his keynote, he explains why automotive security is now one of the industry’s key strategic future topics: it is no longer just about protecting individual functions, but about building trust in the connected, intelligent vehicle as a whole.
Cars today are no longer simply machines made of steel, engines, and mechanics. They are complex, connected software systems on wheels. Software, connectivity, over-the-air updates, and driver assistance features create new opportunities for comfort, safety, and innovation. At the same time, however, they also expand the attack surface for cyber risks.
Software updates are far more than a routine technical process. They must be developed, tested, approved, and deployed securely. At the same time, the owner of the vehicle ultimately decides whether an update is actually installed. This creates a demanding balance for manufacturers between technical feasibility, risk assessment, and user acceptance.
Artificial intelligence is now adding a new layer of complexity. AI can play a role in both defense and attack, while at the same time becoming an increasingly integral part of the product itself — for example in voice assistants and intelligent driving functions. This brings additional questions into focus: How can new vulnerabilities be prevented? And how is AI changing the security architecture of the connected vehicle?
From a regulatory perspective, the industry is under greater pressure than ever before. With regulations such as UNECE R155, cybersecurity has become a fixed component of type approval. Manufacturers must demonstrate that they consider cybersecurity from the outset, take the current state of the art into account, and protect vehicles throughout their entire lifecycle. That is why carmakers such as BMW now rely on multi-layered security architectures. The goal is to make attacks as difficult as possible, detect anomalies at an early stage, and continue protecting vehicles even after they have been sold.
Keynote at the Cyber/AI Expo MAIN STAGE
Martin Arend, General Manager Automotive Security at BMW Group
“Secure and Intelligent Travel in the Automotive Industry”