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Driving Through the Automotive Cybersecurity Challenges

Vehicles are no longer just machines. They are connected systems, and cybersecurity is now a core component of their architecture.

Modern vehicles exchange data with infrastructure, other vehicles, and cloud services. That connectivity unlocks enormous potential, but it also expands the attack surface. A vulnerability in software, a gap in an update process, or a misconfigured interface is no longer just a technical issue, it’s a safety risk.

With over 100 years of expertise in automotive safety, DEKRA operates as a globally recognised Testing, Inspection and Certification organisation across every stage of the automotive cybersecurity lifecycle. Evolving regulations and new standards demand rigorous cybersecurity governance, robust testing, and thorough homologation. From design and development through to type approval and decommissioning, we cover every layer of the automotive supply chain.

Key Benefits for the Automotive Industry

Holistic Approach

Address all safety layers together. DEKRA provides testing and certification services across the full vehicle lifecycle, from concept and design through production, homologation, and beyond.

Streamlined Regulatory Strategy

Simplify your homologation process by aligning all security and safety requirements from the start.

+100 Years of Automotive Expertise

Verify your safety and security with independent technical expertise backed by over 100 years of automotive knowledge.

The Standards and Regulations Behind Automotive Cybersecurity

Defines the requirements of managing cybersecurity risks across the entire vehicle lifecycle. It establishes the foundation framework for automotive cybersecurity engineering, covering processes, responsibilities, and evidence requirements across the entire supply chain.

Outlines the requirements of secure software update management across the vehicle lifecycle, covering update processes, verification, and compliance evidence across OEMs and their supply chains.

Make cybersecurity and software update management legally binding for vehicle type approval. While R155 mandates a certified Cyber Security Management System (CSMS), R156 requires a verified Software Update Management System (SUMS).

Requirements for Vehicle Manufacturers and Suppliers

The OEM Is Responsible

The whole cyber security process is in the hand of the manufacturer and must be maintained throughout the entire vehicle’s lifecycle.

Indirect Obligations of Suppliers

Requirements for risks, mitigations, testing and support will be cascaded down to the supply chain.

Inspection of Critical Components

Security testing of critical components is vital for ensuring the overall security of the vehicle systems.

Verified at Every Stage, Trusted at Every Phase, Tested at Every Level

Training Services

Learn how to integrate cybersecurity from the first stage of the automotive lifecycle. Build the skills needed to scale vehicle cybersecurity with confidence and align with industry standards and regulations.

Testing Services

Verify the security of your vehicles and systems through rigorous, independent testing at every stage - from early threat analysis and component-level assessment to full vehicle penetration testing and type approval.

Certification Services

Certify your vehicles and systems against the automotive industry's key cybersecurity standards and regulations through an independent, expert-led process.

Together on the Road

With over 100 years of automotive expertise - from mechanical safety to the complexities of connected and software-defined vehicles - DEKRA tests, evaluates, and certifies vehicles and automotive systems across the entire supply chain. As the threat landscape has evolved, so have our services. DEKRA covers Cybersecurity, Functional Safety, and AI regulatory requirements aligned with ISO/SAE 21434, ISO 26262, ISO 8800, UNECE R155 and R156, and ASPICE. Independent by design, our assessments give OEMs, Tier 1, Tier 2 and suppliers the confidence to bring safe, secure, and compliant vehicles to market.

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