Law Enforcement Perspectives on Police Vehicle Cybersecurity

Abstract

Cyberattacks on law enforcement officers’ vehicles can compromise and disrupt emergency response, yet there is little knowledge of how law enforcement officers understand and respond to cybersecurity concerns within their work vehicles. This study gathered data on law enforcement officers’ perceptions of vehicle cybersecurity. A survey study was conducted with 80 law enforcement officers, focusing on gathering information to quantify the relationship between their experience as an officer, their cybersecurity experience, and their perception of vehicle cybersecurity. Overall, there was a lack of understanding and knowledge regarding vehicle cybersecurity. Results also revealed a small relationship between how many hours an officer spends in the vehicle and vehicle cybersecurity and an even stronger relationship between the officer’s cybercrime experience and their perceptions of vehicle cybersecurity. With appropriate interventions (e.g., training), there is an opportunity to impact law enforcement behavior to positively promote vehicle cybersecurity resiliency.