Design and Testing of a Computer Security Layer for the LIN Bus.

Area of Science:

• Automotive Cybersecurity
• In-Vehicle Networks
• Embedded Systems Security

Background:

• Modern vehicles utilize onboard computers for connectivity, integrating various communication buses like CAN, LIN, and FlexRay.
• These in-vehicle buses lack inherent security features, rendering them vulnerable to cyberattacks targeting electronic control units.
• Existing security proposals primarily address CAN and FlexRay, leaving LIN bus security unaddressed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To research and develop a formal computer security proposal for the LIN bus.
• To address the vulnerability of LIN communications to cyber threats.
• To implement real-time security protection for LIN networks.

Main Methods:

• Investigated security mechanisms tailored to LIN bus particularities.
• Tested proposed security mechanisms using microcontroller and PSoC hardware.
• Developed a prototype LIN network with PSoC nodes incorporating security features.

Main Results:

• A novel combination of encryption and Hash-based Message Authentication Code (HMAC) with replay attack rejection was developed for LIN communications.
• Promising results demonstrate the feasibility of implementing real-time cybersecurity protection for LIN networks.
• The prototype successfully integrated security features into the LIN network.

Conclusions:

• The developed security solution is effective for protecting LIN communications.
• This research presents a viable approach to enhance automotive cybersecurity for the LIN bus.
• The implementation shows the potential for secure and reliable in-vehicle networking.