Cybersecurity in Autonomous Vehicles—Are We Ready for the Challenge?

Abstract

The rapid development and deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs) present unprecedented opportunities and challenges in the transportation sector. While AVs promise enhanced safety, efficiency, and convenience, they also introduce significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities due to their reliance on advanced electronics, connectivity, and artificial intelligence (AI). This review examines the current state of cybersecurity in autonomous vehicles, identifying major threats such as remote hacking, sensor manipulation, data breaches, and denial of service (DoS) attacks. It also explores existing countermeasures including intrusion detection systems (IDSs), encryption, over-the-air (OTA) updates, and authentication protocols. Despite these efforts, numerous challenges remain, including the complexity of AV systems, lack of standardization, latency issues, and resource constraints. This review concludes by highlighting future directions in cybersecurity research and development, emphasizing the potential of AI and machine learning, blockchain technology, industry collaboration, and legislative measures to enhance the security of autonomous vehicles.