Panasonic has formed a partnership with Trend Micro to jointly develop a cyber security solution that can detect and prevent cyber attacks on autonomous and connected cars.

The partnership plans to develop such solution that can prevent intrusions into the car’s Electronic Control Units (ECUs), which control driving behaviour such as acceleration, steering and braking, as well as other key devices such as telematics and in-vehicle infotainment.

Panasonic noted that with new security threats being discovered every day, it is necessary not only to install security systems in every vehicle but also constantly upgrade them by analysing new attacks and implementing the results.

Based on this idea, the collaboration will leverage Panasonic’s Control Area Network (CAN) intrusion detection and prevention technology and Trend’s Micro IoT Security.

CAN intrusion detection and prevention technology is capable of identifying unauthorised commands sent to ECUs, while Trend’s Micro IoT Security will detect attacks through the internet.

“The solution is expected to be launched for commercial usage after 2020.”

The IoT security solution is to be implemented on IVI devices such as automotive navigation systems, and utilises Trend Micro’s global security knowledge malware analysis expertise to block such attacks.

All events detected by the two technologies will be sent to an analysis platform in the cloud block suspicious traffic.

The solution is expected to be launched for commercial usage after 2020.

In November last year, Panasonic, along with Eiheiji Town Government, the Fukui Prefectural Government, started the field tests of an experimental autonomous electric vehicle on Eiheiji Mai-road in Western Japan.

Set to continue until next month, the field test intends to assess the effectiveness of autonomous cars in providing public transport services to the region.