Thales drives Cybersecurity forward for connected and autonomous Cars

Klein-Winternheim, Germany, Jan 24, 2018

Connected cars are a reality, most modern vehicles on the road nowadays have some form of connectivity to the open world. This raises important challenges on multiple software integration and cybersecurity. To address this challenge, Thales, through its German company SYSGO, and Vector, the Stuttgart-based specialist for automotive embedded electronics founded a joint-venture to address the critical issue of multiple software managing multiple – often safety-critical – functions.

The volume and complexity of software used to manage virtually every aspect of a connected or autonomous vehicle, both mechanic and electronic, could bear a potential risk to people’s safety. Each software presents a potential attack surface for security breaches, which could affect the overall reliability of the vehicle. The aim of this partnership is to co-develop an integrated software platform for improved performance and cybersecurity.

“Cybersecurity and Safety Critical Systems are part of the Thales DNA. For us, this joint initiative with Vector and SYSGO is a natural step beyond what we already do for the automotive industry in cybersecurity services and consulting”, said Laurent Maury, Vice-President, Critical Information Systems and Cybersecurity, Thales.

Through this joint-venture, Thales and Vector will combine their respective embedded systems expertise in aviation safety and in automotive software according to ISO 26262 to offer a single platform to run the car’s software and applications. By simplifying the vehicle’s control systems they aim to strengthen its cyber-protection whilst ensuring the isolation of individual applications.

To achieve this, the two experts will co-develop the new platform by combining two pre-existing products: MICROSAR, Vector’s AUTOSAR* Adaptive basic software, and PikeOS, SYSGO’s real-time operating system. Through this integration, coupled with further co-development, Thales and Vector will provide the automotive industry with a single source solution.

Designed for the new generation of high-performance Electronic Control Units based on AUTOSAR Adaptive standard, a release of the joint solution for prototype applications is planned in 2018 and series releases for safety-relevant control units are planned for 2019.

*AUTOSAR (Automotive Open System Architecture) is a worldwide partnership which develops the standardized software framework for intelligent mobility.

About Thales

Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport, Defence and Security markets. With 64,000 employees in 56 countries, Thales reported sales of €14.9 billion in 2016. With over 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design and deploy equipment, systems and services to meet the most complex security requirements. Its exceptional international footprint allows it to work closely with its customers all over the world.

On the automotive market, Thales assists vehicle and systems manufacturers in every aspect of cyber-security, onboard and around the vehicle: from evaluating risks related to new functions to testing the security level of the equipment installed or the complete vehicle; from defining the security policy to assure a vehicle’s true end-to-end security to security components that allow secure communication and software execution; from establishing a digital trust infrastructure to support in the implementation of digital functionalities.

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