Several investors including Renault Venture Capital, Volvo Group Venture Capital, Hyundai, Hyundai AutoEver and Nationwide Ventures are investing in Upstream Security. Existing investors Charles River Ventures, Glilot Capital and Maniv Mobility are also putting money back into the Israeli automotive cybersecurity company. Upstream Security will use the money to develop systems to secure connected vehicles.
Cars are increasingly equipped with connectivity. By connecting vehicles to mobile networks, it is possible, among other things, to retrieve information from the internet in real-time or receive updates remotely.
Security risks
However, this connectivity also comes with risks. For instance, malicious parties can break into vehicles and manipulate their operation. For instance, (pdf) security researchers from Tencent previously demonstrated how they managed to manipulate the Autopilot system of a Tesla Model S.
Also a few years ago, Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek showed Wired how they could remotely disable the engine of a Jeep Cherokee.
C4 Platform
With its C4 Platform, Upstream Security helps providers of mobility services and connected vehicles detect and address cyber incidents. The platform is cloud-based and uses real-time machine learning, artificial intelligence, big data and behavioural analytics, among others.
The platform automatically detects cyber incidents, classifies them by severity and impact, and alerts analysts. The platform also provides insight into the overall security of a mobility service and highlights any security risks. The platform is integrated with solutions for Security Operations Centres (SOCs). This allows immediate action to be taken from the C4 Platform to address detected threats.
AutoThreat Intelligence
The company also provides AutoThreat Intelligence, a solution that provides visibility into the threat landscape. The solution is specifically aimed at manufacturers in the automotive industry and providers of connected vehicles and mobility services.
Volvo Group Venture Capital's investment is a direct result of Volvo Group's partnership with DRIVE. This innovation centre focuses on disruptive startups in the Israeli mobility sector. "Upstream Security has a promising proposition and can support our future needs with cybersecurity solutions," said Anna Westerberg, interim CEO of Volvo Group Venture Capital and Senior Vice President of Volvo Group Connected Solutions.
"Security is a core element of the connected vehicle, something we cannot compromise on," says Yunseong Hwang, VP Open Innovation Investment Group at Hyundai Motor. Hwang states that Upstream has demonstrated that its technology can strengthen vehicle security.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
