Page 51 - Cyber Defense eMagazine December 2023

Safeguarding the Code That Drives Modern

Vehicles

By Soujanya Ain is a Product Marketing Manager at GitGuardian

The automotive landscape has evolved dramatically, from mechanical marvels to sophisticated platforms
on wheels driven by intricate computer systems. Surprisingly, these vehicles are governed by over 100
million lines of code, running across 50 to over 100 independent processors known as electronic control
units (ECUs). To put this into perspective, the Ford F-150 Lightning, a marvel of modern engineering,
operates on 150 million lines of code, surpassing even the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which relies on a
comparatively modest 6.5 million lines of code.

This intricate code is the lifeblood of modern cars, responsible for tasks ranging from lane-keeping
assistance to seamlessly connecting with our mobile devices and playing our favorite tunes. It's often
said that cars nowadays are essentially rolling computers. This sentiment is not without reason. Since
1996 for American vehicles and 2001 for European ones, standardized connectors (OBD/EOBD) have
been mandated to interface with the local vehicle computer network (CAN bus).

Cyber Defense eMagazine – December 2023 Edition 51
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