Taking It to the Road: University of Detroit Mercy leads Metro-Detroit Regional Vehicle Cybersecurity Institute

Taking It to the Road

UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT MERCY LEADS METRO-DETROIT REGIONAL VEHICLE CYBERSECURITY INSTITUTE

BY SUSAN THWING

Riding 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.

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 engineering 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

vehicles will fall behind the increasing threats from actors in multi-domain contested environments,” said Paul A. Spadafora, Director of Professional Engineering Programs & Industry Liaison, College of Engineering & Science at University of Detroit Mercy. Spadafora is a co-principal investigator for the consortium, along with College of Engineering and Science Dean Katherine Snyder.

The award comes through Griffiss Institute’s Virtual Institutes for Cyber and Electromagnetic Spectrum Research and Employ (VICEROY) program, which establishes cyber institutes at higher learning institutions with the purpose of critical cyber operational skill development for future military and civilian leaders.

Antoine M. Garibaldi, president of Detroit Mercy, said that this significant award will augment the University’s already established expertise in the fields of engineering and cybersecurity.

“Detroit Mercy is honored to be selected for the development of the Metro-Detroit Regional Vehicle Cybersecurity Institute, which will enhance both our engineering and cybersecurity programs,” he said.

Spadafora says the growing demand for cybersecurity engineers is developing an entirely new engineering career field. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of cybersecurity engineers is projected to grow 31% between 201929, much faster than the average for all occupations. In Michigan, the average pay for cybersecurity engineers in 2019 was $91,750, or $44.11 per hour.

To address this need, the MetroDetroit Regional Vehicle Cybersecurity Institute will build on existing relationships with automotive industry and government partners to provide students with valuable realworld experience.

“The talent level, funding and equipment in metro Detroit is plentiful and cutting edge,” Spadafora said. “The transformational work being conducted on autonomous vehicles by the U.S. Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle System Center, General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Stellantis and numerous start-ups and supplier partners makes the metro Detroit area uniquely qualified to partner with Detroit Mercy and its consortium partners.”

As vice president of Global Cybersecurity at General Motors and chairman of the Automotive Information Sharing and Analysis Center, Kevin Tierney sees the automotive industry’s shortage of cybersecurity personnel firsthand. Tierney believes the industry will benefit from a cybersecurity consortium, like the Metro-Detroit Regional Vehicle Cybersecurity Institute.

“We envision that the Metro-Detroit Regional Vehicle Cybersecurity Institute will lead in the education of our current and future company employees, expand the competency of our workforce to design and protect secure physical cyber systems, including those in electric and autonomous vehicles,” Tierney said.

The Metro-Detroit Regional Vehicle Cybersecurity Institute aims to become self-sustaining with goals of developing qualified cybersecurity graduates and creating a multi-pathway educational structure that meets the needs of the vehicle industry and government partners.

In addition to the Institute, Detroit Mercy is renown for electrical engineering and computer science, autonomous and electric vehicle and cybersecurity-related curricula, offering students a variety of undergraduate, graduate and certificate options through the College of Engineering & Science as well as the University’s Center for Cybersecurity & Intelligence Studies.

For more information on the Metro-Detroit Regional Vehicle Cybersecurity Institute, and other Engineering Graduate Degree Programs, visit https://eng-sci.udmercy.edu/academics/ engineering/vehicle-cyber-eng