Taking It to the Road UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT MERCY LEADS METRO-DETROIT REGIONAL VEHICLE CYBERSECURITY INSTITUTE BY SUSAN THWING
R
iding along in my automobile…no particular place to go…” The sentiments of this classic Chuck Berry tune remind us of a carefree, unencumbered style of life. The freedom of having an automobile and a driver’s license provided people the ability to get away from it all. Nearly 80 years after the song’s release today’s vehicles bring the world into our compact automotive space with satellite music, mapping, and more. And with that, has the potential to bring many unwanted cyber guests—including hackers—into the mix. Cybersecurity has become a global security issue. With the world relying on vehicles for everything from personal transportation to shipping products to emergency healthcare, staying ahead of vehicle cyber threats is critical. This is evidenced by a 2020 Global Automotive Cybersecurity Report by Upstream Security, which analyzed more than 200 cyber incidents during the year. The report found that in one case a hacker took control of an entire connected vehicle fleet by exploiting a vulnerability. According to the research, there has been a 99% increase in cyber incidents in 2019 and a 94% increase year-over-year from 2016. More than 200 automotive cyber incidents were publicly reported in 2020 alone on electric vehicles.
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TechCentury
SPRING 2022
But help is on the way. Last July, University of Detroit Mercy (Detroit Mercy) received a $1.12-million award from the United States Department of Defense (DoD) to establish the MetroDetroit Regional Vehicle Cybersecurity Institute, a regional-based, cybersecurity consortium. The Metro-Detroit Regional Vehicle Cybersecurity Institute consists of multiple academic institutions in southeast Michigan and includes the University of Arizona as a research partner. Detroit Mercy will receive the grant as the lead institution for the consortium, which includes Macomb Community College, Oakland Community College, and Washtenaw Community College. The University of Michigan and Henry Ford College will join the consortium as it enters its second phase during the 2023-24 academic year. This consortium will expand and enhance the cybersecurity engineer-
ing workforce through an applied curriculum developed in consultation with industry partners. The consortium also supports upskilling and reskilling for vehicle cybersecurity by prioritizing underrepresented populations, military personnel and veterans. Instruction began in Fall 2021 with enhancements on the program for the winter semester. Curriculum for the consortium will be developed with the workforce in mind. It includes associate, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees, stackable graduate certificates, hands-on laboratory training and cybersecurity immersion camps for high school students. Detroit Mercy will soon offer a Graduate Certificate, master’s degree and an Accelerated 5-Year Bachelor & Master Degree in Vehicle Cyber Engineering (VCE). “Without an increase to the workforce now, the cybersecurity risk to
