Irdeto and Tata Elxsi Team up to Provide Secure In-Car Display Systems for Automobiles

Irdeto, a company that is a key player in digital platform security, has announced that it will be joining hands with Tata Elxsi, a major OEM supplier to provide automotive manufacturers with secure in-car display systems for automobiles. Irdeto will incorporate Tata Elxsi’ award-winning design and engineering expertise as part of its Cloakware for Automotive by Irdeto security solution to provide motorists with secure, best-in-class user interface solutions and connected cockpit solutions.

Connectivity is all the rage in cars and Gartner has predicted that by the end of this decade, there will be a quarter of a billion connected cars on the road. With the number of connected cars growing, it is important to ensure that there is maximum level of security to ensure a safe driving experience.

The partnership between the two companies is expected to yield high-end security, human machine interface (HMI) design, and innovative and appealing visual solutions for futuristic displays in vehicles. The Tata Elxsi and Irdeto solution uses Vehicle-to-X (V2X), connected cars and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) technologies to provide customers with secure In-Car displays. Another area that both companies will be focusing on will be mobile companion applications. They will work on securing the application, any data it generates and the communication between the vehicle and mobile phone using the Remote Vehicle Interaction (RVI) specification.

Commenting on the partnership, Tony K John, Global Head of Marketing, Partnership & Alliance, Transportation Business Unit, Tata Elxsi said that with the advent of innovative technologies like integrated e-cockpit and autonomous vehicles, the user interface will assume greater importance as part of the driving experience. He said that though this technology will be truly intuitive for the end-user, automakers also have to worry about the security aspect. By teaming up with Irdeto, Tata Elxsi has come up with a secure and intuitive solution that will serve as a differentiator for OEMs, and help them to achieve a competitive advantage while keeping drivers safe.

Tata Elxsi has longstanding expertise in software and system design in automotive product development as the company has worked for more than 20 years with automotive OEMs, leading suppliers, tool vendors and semiconductor companies. The partnership with Irdeto will help Tata Elxsi’s award winning design and engineering teams to rapidly prototype an advanced graphical user interface (GUI) that can seamlessly and securely transitions with the target system. This will cover instrument clusters, infotainment head units, rear-seat entertainment and connected car application interfaces.

Daniel Thunberg, Global Head,Internet of Things at Irdeto said that with the number of connected cars growing on the roads, hackers have increasingly begun to target vehicles that have become dependent on software, but are weak on security. Most connected vehicles on the roads today are soft targets for hackers and hence it is critical for OEMs to implement effective cybersecurity into their vehicles from the beginning.
He added, “Our partnership with Tata Elxsi provides a joint solution that not only provides a high-end user experience, but also world-class security that is integrated into the design process.”

Cloakware for Automotive is an end-to-end solution that will allow automakers to create safe and secure vehicles. It effectively combines innovative, patented technologies and cybercrime services to address a variety of security challenges in a car. Irdeto has provided renewable software security for strong anti-hacking protection. Cloakware for Automotive makes it virtually impossible to reverse engineer vehicle software, thus ensuring that automobiles operate as intended. Irdeto and Tata Elxsi will be showcasing the secure in-car display system at CES from January 5-7 at the Bellagio hotel.