Talent Generation for Vehicle Cyber Security

The cyber security of vehicle systems is a growing concern as market forces drive an explosion of connectivity within and around the cyber-physical systems comprising the vehicles on the road today. To keep pace with these market trends, the pool of qualified personnel to address the design and implementation challenges needs to be expanded. Acquiring the cross disciplinary skills involving mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, and security is challenging. It may require multiple majors, which can result in more than four years at a university, as well as include additional certifications, such as in cyber security. Federal investment in focusing educational efforts to create a pipeline of these professionals is in low supply. Private industry partnering with educational institutions is needed to foster initiatives that involve cross disciplinary curriculum strategies and investment in undergraduate and graduate research opportunities for training the next generation of professionals. A description of programs and concepts is presented to provide industry partners examples of actionable efforts in training the next generation of cyber security aware automotive engineers.