Edge Computing Based Connected Autonomous Vehicles: A Discussion on Cyber-Attacks and Security Mechanisms

Edge Computing-based Connected Autonomous Vehicles (EC-CAVs) can fulfill the emerging demand for smart transportation on a global scale. Such innovations to transportation ecosystems can bring manyfold benefits from fully autonomous driving services to proactive vehicle monitoring and traffic management. However, given the complexity involved in the deployment of EC-CAVs, zero-tolerance safety, and security measures must be incorporated to avert vehicle immobilization, road accidents, disclosure of sensitive data, or any potential threats. In this article, we present a reference architecture of EC-CAVs to investigate existing and emerging cyber threats and thus, derive a common attack taxonomy for the EC-CAVs ecosystem based on our studies of academic literature and industry white papers. Subsequently, a discussion on security mechanisms is presented that can ensure safe and secure transportation of passengers from one destination to another using an EC-CAVs ecosystem.