8 AFTERMARKET JULY/AUGUST 2023 BIG ISSUE www.aftermarketonline.net With the huge rise of connectivity within cars, and the amount of data being generated, stored and accessed by independent garages and others, the issue of cyber security for the aftermarket is becoming more acute. On one hand, the data itself in the car is a major issue. Whose is it? Who can access it? What if it is stolen while a car is with a garage? For vehicle manufacturers, by whose products and within whose products the data is being created and stored, they feel it is vital that they make sure that vehicles are safe, and that user privacy is maintained. On the other hand, there is the growing issue of access for garages, with those same vehicle manufacturers erecting ever more complex barriers to prevent access to even the most basic system functions, all in the name of security. This does have the added bonus of meaning cars may need to go back into the dealer networks, thereby bringing the product back within the orbit of their makers. There are many questions around the issue that need addressing. With ever-more complex vehicles entering garages as they age, the problem continues to grow. Developing solutions How did we end up here though? While the transition to EVs is getting all the headlines, the ongoing digitisation of vehicles is having a profound effect on the sector. Commenting on the impact digitisation is having on parts suppliers, BORG Automotive CEO Kim Kruse Andersen noted: “Digitalisation requires different skills and expertise. One example is that car steering will communicate with other car parts to act in the best possible way, and the cars will be equipped with far more technology than we see today and developed with advanced, complex digital networks unseen in the world so far. Each technology must work across all products — a complete interconnection. Therefore, spare part manufacturers and remanufacturing companies must do something different than before, which is a major challenge for companies that manufacture spare parts. Still, we feel very well equipped due to our significant investments in being up to date on the various technologies and developing solutions that fit the cars of the future." Implications Digitalisation inevitably leads to the creation and collection of data, but that itself is the cause of a series of growing problems, as the importance of the data becomes clear to government, and the value becomes clear to vehicle manufacturers. Mark Field IAAF CEO observed: “As CYBERSECURITY: RIGHT TO CONNECT? Access to the vehicle has become more complicated, with cyber security concerns increasingly being used by VMs to lock out independents
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