DOT Connected Vehicle Standards Meeting

Okay, vehicle control system security is a bit of a stretch for a chemical facility security blog, but it is my blog. Today the DOT’s Intelligent Transportation System Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) published a meeting notice in the Federal Register (79 FR 6985) announcing a public workshop to discuss candidate Connected Vehicle (CV) interfaces for standardization.

This program has always seemed to be a little futuristic and a tad bit out-there, but it is becoming obvious that this technology is quickly moving out of the Popular Science technology of the future realm into the real world. This is particularly true with yesterday’s DOT announcement of its intention to move forward with establishing vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications standards as a means to reduce accidents.

The free Connected Vehicle Reference Implementation Architecture (CVRIA) public workshop will be held on February 19^th and 20^th in San Francisco, CA. Advanced registration is encouraged as registrants will receive a preliminary draft plan in advance of the workshop.

Connected Vehicle Planning and Policy Meeting

Today the Department of Transportation’s Intelligent Transportation System Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) published a meeting notice in today’s Federal Register (78 FR 45996-45997) for a public meeting seeking input from the planning community and related national associations on policy and legal aspects of Connected Vehicle implementation. The meeting will be held on September 12^th, 2013 in Washington, DC.

With talks being given at this week’s blackhat convention on hacking automotive control systems, the timing of this notice seems especially appropriate. According to the DOT’s Connected Vehicle Research web site:

“The development and deployment of a fully connected transportation system that makes the most of multi-modal, transformational applications requires a robust, underlying technological platform. The platform is a combination of well-defined technologies, interfaces, and processes that, combined, ensure safe, stable, interoperable, reliable system operations that minimize risk and maximize opportunities.”

Unfortunately there is little information about this meeting in the notice beyond the time and place. The ITS JPO will provide more information about the meeting to registrants. To register to attend the meeting contact  Elizabeth Machek of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (Elizabeth.machek@dot.gov). With the limited information being made available to the public it does not seem to me that DOT is really interested in public feedback on this program.

DOT Announces Connected Vehicle Workshop

Today the Department of Transportation’s Intelligent Transportation System Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) published a notice in today’s Federal Register (78 FR 18415-18416) that they would be conducting a public workshop on Connected Vehicle Reference Implementation Architecture (CVRIA). The two day workshop (April 30^th thru May 1^st) in San Jose, CA will look at preliminary architecture viewpoint drafts. DOT is soliciting feedback from the stakeholders who will be involved in manufacturing, developing, deploying, operating, or maintaining the connected vehicle technologies and applications.

Since most modern vehicles already contain extensive mobile control systems, security of those control systems should be an obvious concern. It would seem that expanding the connectivity of those systems to more outside communications increases their vulnerability to unauthorized manipulations and increased concerns about privacy issues.

It appears that DOT has not entirely ignored the security implications of the expanded connectivity of these systems. The program web site provides links to two existing communications security related documents (here and here), but it seems to me that involvement of ICS security professionals early on in the development process would be beneficial in the long run.