Open source model and simulator for real-time performance analysis of automotive network security

Abstract

With the increasing interconnection of vehicles, security challenges have moved into focus. Attacks on in-vehicle networks can cause accidents resulting in financial damages and even loss of life. The impact of an attack can be mitigated by secure internal vehicle networks, employing authentication of ECUs and authorization of messages. However, quantifying the real-time performance of additional security measures is difficult due to the high number of nodes and messages. In this paper, we present an open source model and simulator for the evaluation of the real-time performance of automotive networks implementing security measures. Applying parameters from hardware measurements, we evaluate our model and simulator with realistic test cases and a case study. We further present application perspectives on how the open source simulator can be used in different domains for the analysis of automotive network architectures.