Scientists have created a security protocol to protect smart cars — equipped with GPS, bluetooth and internet connections — from being hacked. “A car can be fully controlled by the hacker if it is not protected,” said Shucheng Yu from University of Arkansas. Yu and his colleague Zachary King also built an experimental environment that simulates communication system in a smart car, which allows the security protocol to be tested through simulations.
The research focused on protection of the Controller Area Network (CAN), an internal communication system in vehicles. “We are proposing to add a layer of security, so if an unauthorised person accesses it they still would not be able to control your vehicle,” he said. The security protocol protects CAN in two ways. Firstly, it authenticates messages sent through the network by creating an authentication code. This code allows nodes on the network to differentiate between a valid message and an attacker’s message. The second feature protects against replay attacks, when a hacker attempts to breach the network by repeatedly sending messages. The protocol uses a timestamp to calculate when the network last received message.
