The ecosystem of connected vehicles is growing – and with it the attack surface for cyber threats.

The automotive industry is in a state of upheaval: both the boom in alternative drive options and the increased connectivity of vehicles are opening up new business models for manufacturing companies and suppliers. Enabled by numerous new digital features and services from manufacturers and third-party providers, the car is evolving from a pure means of transport into a space for living and working.

This transformation has a strong impact on the ecosystem in which vehicles operate. Ensuring and actively managing the security and functionality of this ecosystem safeguards the well being of all users and also enhance the financial performance of automotive companies. For example, a lane-keeping assistant blocked by a denial-of-service attack endangers not only the occupants but also non-digital vehicles, pedestrians or other road users. 

Accordingly, expectations are high around the automotive industry’s response to minimising such risks via the use of resilient cyber security management systems (CSMS). PwC's Global Automotive CSMS Survey 2022 looks at how far OEMs and suppliers have come in implementing these systems and what more needs to be done.  

Key findings include: In terms of maturity, there is still considerable variance between different CSMS projects. With a view to the average CSMS implementation period of 30 months, the pressure to act is also increasing – companies are not advanced enough in their implementation journey and must act with urgency to address their contractual and legal obligations. Because CSMS will protect the entire value chain of digital ecosystems in the future, significantly influencing operating costs and ensuring compliance, it is fast becoming a business-critical issue for the automotive industry.

However, it is also clear that the CSMS is just one important milestone on the road to successful digital transformation. Companies in the automotive industry need to network their cyber initiatives much more, embedding cyber security at the core of the company’s operations and integrating cyber risk management into the company's risk management. The digital transformation strategy must also lead the way for purely regulatory-driven projects.

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