Mitsubishi Motors Corporation to Add Cybersecurity with C2A Security

Software-defined vehicles (SDVs) will soon be the new kind of automobile consumers will be seeing on the roads. Before self-driving cars, before flying cars, vehicles that are more software than hardware are right around the corner. Major automotive groups, including the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance, are working on such technology, and that means a need for cybersecurity to keep their products and consumers protected. Recently, the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) selected the Israeli startup C2A Security to man the head of their cybersecurity with their EVSec platform.

“We wanted to bring secure, advanced connected services to the market faster…Therefore, we needed to work with external professionals. Accenture’s expertise and drive, which were with us each step from process design to TARA execution, plus C2A Security’s solution, enabled us to achieve TARA of consistent quality in a short period of time.” – Hideaki Inoue, Assistant General Manager, Mobility Business Division, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation

The Israeli startup was founded in 2016 by Michael Dick, and the C2A Security headquarters can be found in Jerusalem. A risk-driven DevSecOps Platform vendor, C2A Security addresses the specific needs of each automaker and mobility solutions company it works with. C2A Security has already signed contracts with several top-tier global players including Daimler Truck AG, BMW Group, Siemens, Valeo, ThunderSoft, Marelli, NTT Data, and Evvo Labs. The contract between MMC and C2A was facilitated by consulting giant Accenture before made official.

These days, automobiles are becoming more and more connected with over-the-air updates, cloud applications, and more advanced in-vehicle experiences that can give consumers a richer driving experience whether behind the wheel or in the passenger seat. Because of that, new rules and regulations are being put in place to keep consumers protected from cyber-attacks. For instance, United Nations’ UN R155 was put in place to require auto manufacturers to implement cybersecurity measures in every vehicle, from design to production and ongoing operation. Like the European Union and its carbon dioxide regulations that get stricter every year, these cybersecurity regulations affect a lot of automakers, who are now forced to take their low-security vehicles off the road or face millions of euros in fines.

This contract with C2A Security wouldn’t be the first time Mitsubishi Motors looked into cybersecurity. Back in 2019, MMC subsidiary Mitsubishi Electric developed cyber security for the automotive department. A multi-layered system designed to prevent cyber-attacks by strengthening their head unit’s defense capabilities, this technology was more or less an antivirus program for automobiles. Future models from Mitsubishi Motors are going to need this kind of cyber security with their future lineup.

Not only will Mitsubishi Motors feature more battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) thanks to its involvement with the Ampere BEV facility Renault proposed, but the automaker is expanding its reach to other automakers. Mitsubishi Motors and Nissan are in discussion about bringing new BEVs and a new pickup truck to the U.S., and Mitsubishi recently joined Nissan and Honda to share BEV technology to bring new electrified models to the brand’s future lineup. Working with C2A Security early on is the right move.

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Photo Source/Copyright: Mitsubishi Motors