Automotive manufactures said cybersecurity risk is their top external obstacle in 2024, according to a Rockwell Automation report based on global survey results. 

Thirty-five percent of respondents ranked cybersecurity as their top concern, according to the report. 

“Cybersecurity is an even bigger concern for automotive than other industries: respondents in our pan-industry report ranked it lower, at No. 3 on the list of external pressures,” the report says. “Recent high-profile data breaches and the proliferation of internet connectivity within automotive may have contributed to cybersecurity leaping up from the ninth biggest risk last year to this year’s top spot.”

Respondents said the energy crisis and rising energy costs are its second-largest obstacle, inflation its third, supply chain disruption fourth, and workforce fifth.

The automotive industry also surpassed other industries in technology investments, the report said. Spending in 2024 was 31% of OEM operating budgets, an increase of 35% year-over-year, the report says. 

“Adoption of smart technology and AI is seen by manufacturers as the best way to mitigate against both external and internal risks,” the report says. “Automotive manufacturers are generating the most ROI from investments that create improved connectivity and efficiency in the plant, such as 5G, manufacturing execution systems (MES) and programmable logic controllers (PLC).” 

Ninety-seven percent of automotive manufacturers are using or evaluating smart manufacturing technology, the report found. The percentage is up from 85% last year. 

The factory floor is seeing the most technology updates, the report said. This includes upgrades to sensors and instruments, connected devices, and industrial computers. 

“Adoption of the industrial metaverse within the automotive sector looks set to outstrip other industries,” the report says. “While this technology languishes at the bottom of the table of cutting-edge tools already invested in by all sectors in our survey, it’s the one most automotive respondents plan to invest in within the year.” 

Forty-six percent of automotive respondents said they planned to invest in an industrial metaverse in the next year.

Deloitte defines the “Industrial Metaverse” as the convergence of individual technologies that, when used in combination, can create an immersive 3D virtual or virtual/physical industrial environment. 

Generative AI or causal AI along with wearables and robots, were other technology advancements that ranked high with the automotive industry, the report says. 

With technology and connectivity advancements not only on the factory floor but also in the design of vehicles, it makes sense that cybersecurity is a top concern for OEMs. It also isn’t a new concern. 

The Automotive Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Auto-ISAC) was launched in 2015 by government stakeholders and automakers, according to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. The same year it set up the Automotive Cybersecurity Best Practices.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) followed in 2016 with an Automotive Cybersecurity Best Practice guide. 

In 2021, ISO and SAE finalized a global standard for vehicle cybersecurity. 

“This novel multi-year effort brought together more than 100 experts from 17 countries, spanning a diverse group of over 80 public and private sector organizations,” according to Auto Innovators. “ISO/SAE 21434 provides the industry with robust processes and procedures to manage cybersecurity risk throughout the lifecycle of the vehicle – from design through decommissioning.” 

Cybersecurity is something that will change as technology changes, an Auto Innovators paper says. 

“Remaining nimble and adaptive in the face of a rapidly, dynamic cybersecurity threat environment is paramount for the auto industry,” it says. “The growing digital and connected ecosystem introduces several complexities and cybersecurity risks that are no longer confined to the vehicle itself or controlled solely by the auto industry. The relationship among vehicles, connected infrastructure, products, and services, as well as with consumers, is fueling automotive innovation, and, thus, cybersecurity must remain at the core. Consumer trust and our cleaner, safer, and smarter transportation future depend on it.”

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