Cybersecurity of Transportation Infrastructure in a Connected-Vehicle Environment

Principal Investigator(s):

Henry Liu, Director – Center for Connected and Automated Transportation (CCAT)
Director – Mcity
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering – The University of Michigan
Research Professor – The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
Z. Morley Mao, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science – The University of Michigan

Project Abstract:
The objective of this project is to find cybersecurity vulnerabilities in transportation infrastructure and identify a set of strategies to prevent or reduce the damage from cyberattacks. A series of recommendations to improve infrastructure cybersecurity will be developed. This project will first analyze the security of the current transportation infrastructure at the protocol level (e.g., dedicated short range communications, National Transportation Communications for Intelligent Transportation Systems) and at traffic-control-system level (e.g., traffic signal policy and operation). Then, real-world penetration tests will be conducted at the Mcity Test Facility to determine possible security vulnerabilities. Based on the testing results, consequences of security breaches will be investigated. Finally, a set of recommendations will be developed for best security practice. The final report for this project will not be publicly available.

Institution(s): University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

Award Year: 2017

Research Thrust(s): Enabling Technology, Infrastructure Design & Management, Policy & Planning

Project Form(s):