ETAS and Rambus: automotive cyber security collaboration

In response to this trend, ETAS GmbH, with its cyber security solution field, and Rambus, a provider of hardware security IP, have embarked on a strategic collaboration. This partnership aims to co-develop and offer a combined security package. It integrates Rambus's RT-640 embedded hardware security module (eHSM) IP with ETAS's System on Chip (SoC) security software solution, ESCRYPT CycurSoC.

The complexity of systems is a significant threat to security; as it rises, the potential exploits available to adversaries increase exponentially. Tomorrow's vehicles are evolving into highly complex systems, transitioning from simple mechanical systems to interconnected systems comprising compute, mechanical, and connectivity resources. This includes numerous ADAS/AD sensor technologies and billions of lines of code.

Future vehicles will represent a sum of service-oriented software built upon a centralised electrical/electronic (E/E) architecture, powered by advanced computing units. Innovations like chiplet architectures will facilitate the high-performance SoCs needed for advanced automotive systems. However, these new technologies also introduce new vulnerabilities that could compromise vehicle safety and security.

Protecting automotive systems necessitates a multi-layered defence strategy, spanning from silicon IP to software. Through their collaboration, Rambus and ETAS will provide customers with a solution that merges Rambus's next-generation RT-640 eHSM IP and ETAS's leading embedded cyber security software, ESCRYPT CycurSoC. This approach will tackle the challenges posed by advanced automotive SoCs, enhance overall security, and establish a robust foundation for a comprehensive defence strategy from the chip to the Cloud. Customers will benefit from greater scalability, reduced implementation risk, and accelerated market entry.

“The rapidly expanding cyberthreat environment, and increasingly sophisticated adversaries targeting highly complex and connected vehicles, make strategic collaborations for integrated security solutions mission critical,” says Neeraj Paliwal, General Manager of Silicon IP at Rambus. “This collaboration unites hardware and software security expertise and maximises protection of next-generation SoCs for a safer and more secure future mobility.”

“With advancing software capabilities, the automotive industry is undergoing a rapid transformation to software-defined-vehicle ecosystems,” says Dr. Frederic Stumpf, Cybersecurity Portfolio Manager at ETAS. “This strategic collaboration will bring together best-in-class security solutions that support these advanced software features with robust defence-in-depth protection.”

More details about the ETAS and Rambus security solution will be released in the coming months. Meanwhile, the Rambus and ETAS teams are showcasing their collaboration at CES this week. For more information about this potent combination of software and hardware security for your next SoC design, please get in touch.