Speaking at the Auto EV Tech Vision Summit 2025, Suresh D highlights the major cyber vulnerabilities and the corresponding technologies required to enable a safer and more resilient automotive ecosystem.
Since the electronic components in passenger vehicles are set to increase by 20-40 percent, as the recent studies suggest, including infotainment, ADAS, etc, drawing in a lot of sensors in the near future, automobiles are emerging as the new battlefield for cyber developments. Underlining this growing phenomenon, Suresh D, Group CTO, Minda Corporation, CEO, Spark Minda Tech Centre & Board Member, Spark Minda Green Mobility says, “A passenger vehicle is expected to see a 20–40 percent increase—nearly doubling in some cases—over the next two to three years, bringing in a large number of on-board electronic systems. This will significantly increase software content and complexity,” at the Auto EV Tech Vision Summit 2025 held at KTPO, Bengaluru, on November 18–19, 2025.
He further goes on to add that the phenomenon will make Operating Systems and other software indispensable, escalating the security question in automobiles.
Critical Challenges on the way
He says that the new architectural parameter of SDVs, where the distributed architecture is being replaced by controlled or zonal architecture, also poses certain security challenges. Also, as the new vehicles remain entirely connected, as in V-2-V or V-2-I connection, the proximity of cyber risks escalates.
Further, he touches upon the critical challenges that are to be tackled, including phishing, hacking, snooping, malware, etc. He goes on to underline some of the crucial cyberattacks that the automotive industry has seen in the recent past, ranging from CAN spoofing a Jeep Cherokee in 2014 to the latest TESLAMATE attack on Tesla cars in 2025, underlining how the question of cybersecurity becomes more relevant than ever.
Curious Case of SDVs & EVs
As EVs are on the rise across the world, Suresh D highlights how EV expansion and the need for robust charging systems also aggravate the risk. He explains that if a charging station compromises a supplier’s build server, it can be manipulated to tamper with BMS parameters via a compromised internal bus or a malicious charging station.
While for SDVs, potential risk sources he underlines include attack scenarios ranging from unprivileged root access and pivoting through fleet management backends, to compromised third-party apps and poorly protected cryptographic keys.
How to Tackle this?
In the latter part, he touches upon the important steps that can be taken to avoid the potential risks and create a safer and reliable cyber ecosystem for automotives. First among them is the System Architecture approach. He says, “It refers to developing a robust architecture—understanding the OEM’s architecture and aligning the product accordingly.” He sums it up as thinking way ahead of the OEMs. It also includes encryption and decryption of the hardware to ensure that no vulnerability remains open to exploitation.
Further, he also outlines a distinct approach, which is Embedded Edge Solutions, which means solving the problem at the source. It includes several protections, including secure flashing and secure boot. This is done through the plant server of the OEM that generates distinct private keys for each of the units for further authorization.
For SDVs, he highlights a telematics-based approach which consists of 3 layers, namely Layer 1- In-vehicle security, Layer 2- Vehicle Communication Security & Layer 3- The cloud infrastructure. When Internet Protocol is used for communication, it enables whitelisting of the IPs through encryption and decryption through SSL, enabling a better and safer environment.
High Frequency Options: Granting More Immunity
He also underlines how automobiles these days usually come with smart keys or keyless access to the vehicle. While the technology is referred to as Low-Frequency Radio Frequency (LFRF), it is immune to relay attacks. However, the industry is gradually moving towards safer and more reliable options like Bluetooth and Ultra Wide Bandgap (UWB), with high-frequency technology making decoding highly difficult.
He adds that even these technologies are prone to cyberattacks, either at the server level or the device level. Conclusively, some techniques like channel sounding with Bluetooth-based technology have been developed, which are more precise and help make authentication more secure. It offers a turnkey secure foundation, making automobiles reliable and secure.
