DT-4-CT: a feasibility study to build a Digital Twin for Cybersecurity Testing of CAV networks

Being able to instantaneously assess, measure, and determine the trustworthiness of communicating parties and, subsequently, the data they exchange is critical to large scale development, testing, and trial of CAV technology ecosystems. The ability to operate in an open environment with complex and constantly evolving threats arising from the hardware to communication networks, and to interconnected digital systems, be it in-vehicle autonomy systems or digital traffic control centre applications, is crucial for any organisations wanting to land their technologies in the commercial world.

This project will research into cybersecurity threats to connected vehicle network environment and propose a digital cybersecurity testing methodology and processes using a digital twinning approach to identify and measure dynamic threats and suggest mitigation strategies. We will take a systems-of-systems approach to examine the issues and countermeasures through explicitly acknowledging the complexity of threats introduced by interconnected and potentially interdependent systems.

CAVs are seen as data dependant applications relying on the efficient and accurate operation of embedded sensor technology at the hardware and software level and interaction with external network and mobility services that communicate, exchange and process data. This environment encompasses traffic management and control, roadside infrastructure, communication infrastructure, in-vehicle autonomy system, CAV fleet management system and the interactions between them. Cyber threats to one system can no longer be easily separated from those facing another as they are intertwined close. A coordinated and scalable cybersecurity testing facility will be needed to examine cybersecurity challenges from the physical infrastructure of interconnected sensors to city-scale traffic management systems.

This project will investigate the feasibility of building a digital twin for cybersecurity testing in such an environment. Cybersecurity threats will be examined using computational models constructed by real and simulated data across five layers to identify and establish the information needed between different systems: a) hardware, e.g. Trusted Platform Modules used by vehicles/in-vehicle equipment, RoadSide Units, to bootstrap trust; b) software security update processes; c) application security that establishes identity & access control; d) processes for exchanging security information over wireless network, e.g. DSRC and Cellar; and e) security processes at system-level data exchange, e.g. between UTMC and third-party IoT sensors. Sophisticated threats, such as Distributed Denial of Services (DDoS) attacks, are relevant for all layers, thus approaches for meta-models will be explored.

Relevant findings and recommendations, where appropriate, will be shared with vendors, local authorities, third parties, and government agencies in a confidential manner.