Automotive technology holds great promise but also introduces new risks. Connected cars may offer drivers a wide array of new amenities, but their being networked means hackers could break in and take the wheel themselves. Until the automotive cybersecurity question is solved, the full potential of automotive technology will remain out of reach.
Not only has Israel long been a hub for automotive technologies, housing over 400 active companies in the sector. But the Startup Nation has recently also been leading the way in developing sophisticated cyber solutions to defend these newly connected cars from malicious cyberattacks. Given Israel’s strong expertise in both automotive technology and cybersecurity, the confluence of the two has been a natural fit. In short order, Israel has produced several world-leading companies in the space, including Argus Cyber Security, which was acquired by Continental for $400 million in 2017. And there are a host of promising, innovative companies operating at the cutting edge of automotive cyber security.
- Founded by high-ranking cybersecurity experts from the Israeli Air Force, GuardKnox seeks to apply the lessons from these experiences into providing uncompromising cyber protection to the automotive industry. By setting a pre-determined normal set of behaviors and connections between automotive devices, GuardKnox can constantly compare a vehicle’s current operation against this known safe standard. If an operation deviates too much, it imposes a communication lockdown between automated systems, leaving only the car’s driver in control.
- Upstream Security was founded by two cybersecurity veterans with over 20 years of industry expertise. One of the key differentiating factors for Upstream is that it provides a solution for ensuring the cybersecurity of entire fleets of connected automobiles. Aggregating and gathering data, then processing it in a unified cloud allows Upstream to normalize data from multiple feeds and analyze it for potential or active security risks.
- Karamba Security is helmed by a team of enterprise technology veterans, with deep ties to influential executives across industries. Indeed, what distinguishes Karamba’s approach is the close collaboration it requires with a series of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). By understanding the exacting specifications OEMs ship their products with, Karamba can create a detailed profile of the device’s factory settings. The result is a cybersecurity policy adapted to each vehicle, capable of autonomously stopping hackers in their tracks with remarkable speed and accuracy.
As automotive technology races towards mainstream adoption, the urgency to protect connected cars against ever-evolving cyber threats has reached a fever pitch. Through a combination of outside investment and homegrown domain expertise, Israel looks perfectly positioned to lead the way in automotive cybersecurity. Israeli innovators, once again, are helping to pave the way for the next generation of technological progress.
