VATT&EK framework presented at the ACM CSCS conference

VATT&EK

Intelligent transport systems in automotive and rail face a growing number of cyber threats. To address them, Ali Recai Yekta, Dominik Spychalski (INCYDE), Erhan Yekta, Cenk Yekta and Stefan Katzenbeisser developed the VATT&EK framework, which we presented at the 7th ACM Computer Science in Cars Symposium (CSCS).

VATT&EK stands for "Vehicle Adversarial Tactics, Techniques, and Expert Knowledge". It is a structured way to identify, analyse and defend against cyber attacks in automotive and rail systems. The framework builds on tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP), which make it possible to categorise and understand threats systematically. By giving everyone the same vocabulary, VATT&EK makes it easier for the different parties in automotive and rail ITS security to talk to each other. More on the framework and its use cases: VATT&EK, the framework for automotive and rail cybersecurity

The full academic paper: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3631204.3631867

Why VATT&EK for automotive and rail?

Automotive and rail systems need security work that is specific to them. VATT&EK answers that with a structured approach based on tactics, techniques and procedures, so that threats can be identified and countered systematically. Keeping VATT&EK current as threats and technologies change is part of the work, not an afterthought. Integrated into existing systems, it strengthens resilience against attacks. ITS cybersecurity is at the start of something new. VATT&EK is our contribution to a safer future for automotive and rail, and we invite the industry to adopt it and put it to work.